One Broken Rule, One Reunion, One Soulmate
by SuzyH82
Summary: Post JD! After being reassigned, Tony and Ziva bump into each other when a Mossad operative becomes a NCIS case. When the team is reunited, Tony begins to realise his feelings for Ziva just as she thinks she found her soulmate, and it isn't Tony! Rated T
1. There Goes Rule No12

**Title:** One Broken Rule, One Reunion, One Soulmate

**Featuring:** All NCIS characters but specifically Tony and Ziva. Disclaimer: I do not own NCIS or it's characters.

**Rated:** T, possibly M

**Please note:** I'm terrible at all things Navy/Mossad/Hebrew/ Israeli etc. I come from Ireland and love NCIS and Tiva. I'm attempting to write this fan fic without the necessary knowledge so please cut me some slack. Thanks!

**Concept:** This story is what I would love to see happen in season 6 for Tony and Ziva. The story begins just after the team discover they are being reassigned. Ziva and Tony share a moment before they finally say goodbye. Months later, they bump into each other when a Mossad mission becomes a NCIS case and Tony begins to realise his feelings for Ziva. But is it too late? Especially when the team is reunited and Ziva finally believes she's found her 'soul mate'…and it's not Tony!

BTW…Although it doesn't sound like it, this is a Tiva fic, I just like the angst so please give it a chance. Thanks!

**Chapter 1 – There Goes Rule No.12**

_4 hours after the team found out they were being reassigned… _

**The Bar/Pub**

Ziva David sat in a booth, her right index finger playing with the rim of her wine glass as she watched a tearful Abby walking out of the bar, clinging to McGee, afraid if she let him go, she'd never seen him again.

Ziva had already said her goodbyes to Gibbs and Ducky an hour previously. Gibbs had gone back to the office, in search of information to try and keep his team together while Ducky had to leave to be with his mother. Now that McGee and Abby had left, there was only one person left to say goodbye to, her hardest goodbye…Tony Dinozzo.

"So, you want another?" A familiar voice asked. She looked around to find Tony, standing before her, holding up his empty glass.

"No…I think it's time I left too." Ziva replied, a smile forming on her lips, in an attempt to stop the tears she knew were building inside her. "After all, you and I are both leaving Washington tomorrow and neither of us have packed."

"Why pack when you can get drunk?" Tony answered.

"Tony, getting drunk isn't going to change anything." Ziva responded. "Tomorrow morning I'll be getting on a plane to Tel Aviv and you…"

"Will be stuck on a ship with a lot of male sailors." Tony finished.

"Exactly." Ziva stated, her smile becoming genuine at the thought of poor, sexually frustrated Tony on that ship. "We have to face the reality of the situation sooner or later."

"Come back to my place with me." Tony suddenly said.

"What? Where did that come from?" Ziva asked, surprised. There were plenty of times Tony had asked her back…but normally, he was extremely drunk and she could always tell he wasn't serious. But tonight it was different. He was nowhere near drunk and his eyes were so sincere and pleading.

"I can't say goodbye Ziva, not to you…not yet." Tony softly stated as he stepped towards her. "Come back to my place with me…please."

"Tony…" Ziva began, trying to think logically but she couldn't. Especially when Tony's outstretched hand grazed her left cheek. Then, his thumb began to graze her lips. He was staring so intensely at her, Ziva tried to look away but she couldn't.

"Tell me you haven't felt it Ziva…that for the last three years, you haven't thought about us…ripping each other's clothes off." Tony softly whispered as he slid into the booth beside her.

Ziva took a deep breath, to try and calm her racing heart. Slowly, her hand grazed the nape of Tony neck as Tony pulled her into him. Their lips crashed together, hungrily at first, before falling into a natural, sensual rhythm.

**05.00 – Tony's Apartment**

Ziva's eyelids began to flutter as rays of sunshine, filtering into Tony's bedroom through the gaps in the blinds. Slowly, she opened her eyes to find her clothes scattered around the room, amongst Tony's belongings. She found herself wrapped in Tony's arms, her fingertips entwined with his, her bare back pressing against his bare chest.

She slowly freed her fingers from his and turned over to face him. His strong arms were still holding her close. She lay there, watching him sleep, the small rays of sunshine flickering off his face, making him more handsome than she ever though possible. Slowly, her fingers traced up his chest, then his neck, before resting on his lips.

She tried to take a mental picture of him…of how peaceful he looked at this very moment, before she leaned in and gently pressed her lips against his. His lips responded, taking her by surprise, as Tony finally opened his eyes.

"So last night wasn't a dream." Tony stated, a wide smile spreading on his lips as his thumb grazed the small of Zivas's bare back.

"No." Ziva replied, returning the smile as the fingers from her right hand played with his hair.

"So yesterday wasn't a dream either." Tony stated, his smile fading.

"Unfortunately, no." Ziva replied.

"You're gonna tell me you have to go now, aren't you?" Tony observed. Ziva nodded, her fingers still nestled in his hair.

"Thank you for last night…it was the perfect way to say goodbye." Ziva said softly before pressing her lips against his for a final, soft, loving kiss. They reluctantly pulled apart and Ziva stood up and gathered her belongings. She quickly dressed herself.

"Ziva…" Tony said, reaching out to take hold of her arm. Ziva spun around, her eyes questioning him. "Stay safe." A smile formed on her lips.

"Ditto." She replied before making a quick exit. Tony stifled his laughter, realising she was finally picking up Americanisms…just as she was leaving.

To be continued…if you want!

I know it's kinda slow but the next chapter will pick up with Ziva's secret mission so let me know if you want me to post. Thanks!


	2. Welcome to Potamos Bay

**Hi guy! I just wanted to say thank you so much for your lovely feeback and reviews. They are really inspiring me to keep writing.**

* * *

**Chapter 2 – Down at Potamos Bay**

_Three months later…_

**Corfu, Greece**

Ziva stood at a balcony, overlooking the sea view. She was wearing white shorts and a light blue cami. Her dark, lightly curled hair gently swayed against the soft sea breeze. Her eyes were closed, taking in the peacefulness of the scene around her.

"Ziva? What are you doing?" Someone with a hint of an Israeli accent barked from behind her. He was tall, well built, with large dark chocolate eyes, dark hair and tanned skin. He had a dimple on his left cheek, but it was hidden under dark stubble. He was dressed in brown, cropped linen trousers and a white short sleeved buttoned down shirt. He had a pair of sunglasses hanging from the middle of his shirt.

"Don't you mean Anthea, Rishon?" Ziva asked, walking in from the balcony.

"Don't get smart Ziva." Rishon replied. "Elias is already in the club, looking for his girl."

"And his girl doesn't take the stage until 9." Ziva replied sharply.

"Ziva, we have invested far too much to let you destroy this operative." Rishon responded. "I told Uri you were not ready to go back into the field…"

"Don't bring my father into this!" Ziva exclaimed. "I'm more than ready."

"Really?" Rishon snapped. "Because your time at NCIS has made you soft."

"Rishon, I could still kill you with a toothpick if I wanted." Ziva hissed. "In fact, maybe I should have all those years ago."

"I thought you were over that." Rishon simply stated.

"You, sleeping with my half sister while you were meant to be with me? Yeah, I'm over it." Ziva replied, coldly. "But don't dare try to tell me how to do my job. I'm not the same 18-year-old girl you used to know."

"Oh I know…I used to think you were the best agent we ever had." Rishon replied. "That we were the best team…I guess I made a mistake."

"No…your only mistake was agreeing to be my control officer." Ziva answered before heading into her bedroom. She slammed the door behind her.

"Wear the gold dress tonight…it is his favourite." Rishon called through the door, before heading onto the balcony himself.

* * *

Tony sat in his office, staring at his blank computer screen. He was so bored…he desperately missed being out on the field. Now, he was just out in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea with very little to investigate.

His eyes drifted to the framed photo sitting beside his screen. It was photo of him, with Gibbs, Ducky, Abby and Ziva. Abby had one arm wrapped around McGee's neck, the other around Tony's neck, squeezing them into her. All of them displaying the biggest grins in the world. Beside McGee was Ducky, standing to the side with his arms folded but smiling proudly. Beside Tony was Gibbs, smiling with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Ziva stood slightly to the side of Gibbs, leaning her head against his shoulder, her arms crossed, her eyes focused on the camera with a small but happy smile.

Tony shook his head. He hated when he started to think about all of them. It made him miss his home and the NCIS Head Quarters even more. He regularly emailed both McGee and Abby…and he spoke to both Ducky and Gibbs on the phone every week.

Ziva however…hadn't contacted him since that night 3 months ago…and he hadn't contacted her either. McGee had heard her father had thrown her straight into Mossad operatives again, as an undercover agent, somewhere in Europe.

Ever so often, at night, when he was alone and missing the company of females, he would reflect on that night he shared with Ziva…and regret waiting 3 years to be with her. He'd never been with a woman like that before…not even Jeanne and he probably never would be again.

* * *

Ziva stood on a small stage, the white spotlight the only bright light in the candlelit room. She was wearing a sleeveless, short gold sequin dress, which barely covered her behind. Her dark hair was pinned up, with a few ringlet curls framing her face. She wore strappy gold stiletto heels, making her barely clothed legs even more spectacular. She had three gold bangles on her left wrist and medium gold hoop earrings on her ears.

In front of her there were small tables, cosy enough to sit romantic couples and at the very back, they were red velvet booths, for larger groups. To the left of Ziva, near the back, there was a bar, tended by a lone bartender.

Behind her sat the house band, playing a jazz version of Peggy Lee's 'Fever'. Ziva sung the words, hitting every note perfectly. She performed the song in a very sensual manner; her mike stand, hands and eyes were her only props, ensuring every man wanted to take her home, including her target…Elias Petrakis.

Elias Petrakis sat at the bar, his eyes never leaving Ziva. He was a short man, in his early forties, slightly heavy with a reclining hairline but stunning blue eyes. He was wearing jeans that were at least one size too small and a black button down shirt, with the first four buttons open, exposing a very hairy chest.

Ziva finished her song, took in the polite applause from the audience and headed straight to the bar. She was well aware of Elias' presence but was trying to play it cool. "Nerroh." She requested from the bartender, displaying her best Greek accent. The bartender passed over an opened bottle of mineral water.

Ziva could feel Elias' eyes on her as she took a sip of the water. "Fabulous show tonight Anthea." Elias finally said, his voice dripping with a forced Greek accent.

"Efharisto Elias…my favourite fan." Ziva replied with a smile, continuing her Greek accent, thanking him for the compliment.

"Thank me tomorrow…when you have lunch with me." Elias stated.

"Elias, we talk about this." Ziva answered, trying to make it sound like she was struggling with her English, while maintaining her accent. "I work…serving tourists in the kafenee-oh in the day. My boss be very cross if I miss."

"Join me for a moonlight walk then…tonight." Elias requested.

"Nay…I would like too." Ziva answered with a smile, telling him yes, she would like to go. "I change first, nay?"

"Nay." Yes, he replied. Ziva smiled again and hurried towards the exit, waiting until she was out of view to get in contact with Rishon.

* * *

Rishon was sitting on the edge of Ziva's double bed as she dressed in front of him. She was wearing jeans, a white vest top and a black zipped hooded sweater. She was pulling out the hair clips, letting her hair fall down naturally.

"I still think you should let me put in a wire." Rishon stated.

"Rishon, he might find it." Ziva replied.

"Not were I would put it." Rishon stated. "Wait, what are you going to do with him?"

"Careful Rishon, you almost sound like a jealous lover." Ziva answered with a smirk.

"Hey if you want to sleep with the guy to get the info it's your deal, but I though the idea would repulse you." Rishon said.

"It does." Ziva agreed, opening the zipped sweater and adjusting her top to show ample cleavage. "But if needs must…"

"Wow, you haven't changed have you?" Rishon observed, staring at her chest. "Except maybe your bra size."

"Not that you'll ever know." Ziva muttered. "Look Rishon, I'll get this mission finished…no matter what. Just don't doubt me."

"Fine but wear this." Rishon replied, slipping a silver watch on her right wrist. "There's a recording chip and GPS chip in there…just to monitor the situation."

"Okay." Ziva simply replied before exiting the room, Rishon's eyes watching her leave.

* * *

Ziva walked towards the bar. It had suddenly got very quiet. There didn't seem to be any customers around. Just as she was about to enter the bar, she could hear three men talking…one of them sounded as if he was begging, another sounded like Elias. She stopped and hid behind the doorframe.

"I promise you…they known nothing." One man pleaded. Ziva recognised his accent as American.

"So why do they mention money if they do not know it is for sale?" Elias asked, his forced Greek accent now showing hints of an Israeli accent.

"Maybe they heard from someone else." The man suggested.

"Stefan…kill him." Elias ordered, no longer wanting to hear the excuses.

"No…wait!" The man pleaded before a single gunshot echoed around the bar. Ziva jumped – a natural reaction, even for a Mossad assassin.

"Stefan, take care of this." Elias ordered.

"Sure thing boss." Stefan replied, with a strong Greek accent.

Ziva could hear the footsteps of Elias, exiting the bar; she quickly hid herself. Elias stopped at the bartender, who was sitting out of sight. Luckily, he would not have seen Ziva were he was sitting. Elias handed him a few hundred euros, obviously buying his silence.

"If you see Anthea, tell her I had to go but I will be back tomorrow." Elias said.

"Nay." The bartender replied and nodded. Elias walked off, and the bartender quickly disappeared.

Ziva came out of hiding, fully aware of what she'd need to do – find the body and find out why the man was killed.

* * *

Using her Mossad skills, Ziva followed Stefan undetected as he disposed of the body into an alley. She waited until he left before she approached the body. It was easy to see how he was killed…a close range shot straight in the chest. She careful pulled a wallet out of the victim's pocket, searching for an I.D. She quickly found it.

"Oh no." She muttered as she read the victim's name. "Petty Officer First Class, Riley Smith." Without thinking, Ziva quickly reached for her phone and dialed an all too familiar number.

"Jethro Gibbs." The man answered.

"Gibbs, it's Ziva…David." Ziva replied, adding the David, in case there was ever a chance he could forget her.

"Ziva? We were beginning to think you disappeared into the centre of the earth." Gibbs responded, relieved to know she was still alive. "How are you?"

"I've had better days." Ziva replied, running her free hand through her hair.

"Ziva, are you in trouble, do you need my help?" Gibbs asked, already mentally organising a rescue plan.

"No…I'm not in trouble but I do need help." Ziva replied.

"What is it Ziva?" Gibbs asked.

"I'm working an undercover operative in Europe…and I've just found the body of an American Petty Officer First Class." Ziva replied. "His death was ordered by my target."

"Where are you?" Gibbs asked.

"In Corfu, Greece." Ziva replied. "I think your port of call is Kerkira…Potamos Bay."

"I'll try and locate an agent near that port." Gibbs replied, writing down the information.

"Gibbs, this has to be low-key." Ziva stated. "I haven't even cleared this with my father or my control officer. I'm just acting on my gut feeling."

"I understand Ziva." Gibbs replied, about to hang up.

"Oh…and Gibbs?" Ziva said. "It was really nice to hear your voice again. I missed it."

"I missed yours too." Gibbs replied before hanging up.

Ziva stood up and took a deep breath, preparing herself to take the next step – telling Rishon and her father what she just did.

* * *

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next chapter – Tony and Ziva finally come face to face. **


	3. Together Again

_Hey, just wanted to say thanks for all the great feedback and encouragment with my writing. It's a great inspiration to me. _

**Chapter 3 – Together Again**

_The next day…_

**Mandouki dock, Potamos Bay**

Tony sat in a helicopter, flying towards the dock, sighing with relief. He was finally off _that_ ship…with something to investigate. The call that came through to the ship was quite cryptic…telling him that a petty officer had been killed and not to wear anything drawing attention to NCIS. He was also told that the liaison that had made the call in the first place would meet him at the dock.

Slowly, the helicopter began to land. About 100 yards away, he could see someone standing beside an old Landrover jeep. They were wearing jeans, a white vest top, black sunglasses and a black hooded sweater with the hood up. This was obviously his liaison.

As soon as the helicopter landed, Tony grabbed his gear and hopped out. He began to head towards the jeep, and his liaison. As he came closer, he could tell the liaison was female, from the shapely figure.

At about 40 yards away, the liaison began to move towards him, slowly at first before breaking into a sprint. At first, he thought he got it wrong…that this wasn't his liaison…it was someone about to kill him. Then, the black hood of the girl sprinting towards him fell down, releasing a mass of dark, lightly curled hair and he knew straight away.

"Oh my God! Ziva!" He exclaimed, the biggest smile spreading on his lips as he dropped his gear, preparing to hug her.

Ziva jumped into his arms; holding him as tight as she could, she buried her face in his neck. Tony squeezed her back, just as tight, burying his nose in her mass of curls, taking in her familiar, sweet smell, before gently kissing her bare neck. A touch that did not go unnoticed by Ziva, who suddenly shivered.

They reluctantly pulled apart, still taking each other in. Ziva raised her hand to smooth down Tony's shirt collar, a smile permanently fixed on her lips. "Tony…I can't believe…you were the last person I expected." She managed to spit out.

"Ditto." Tony laughed. His hand stroked her hair, before grazing her cheek, then her lips. His eyes were intensely focused on her, staring at her, in disbelief. Ziva turned her head to avoid his gaze, in an attempt to stop the goosebumps spreading throughout her body.

"C'mon…there is a lot I have to fill you in on." Ziva stated, grabbing one of his bags.

"Okay." Tony replied, silently wondering if Ziva had just given him the brush off as he picked up his bag and quickly followed her.

* * *

Tony stood before the body, a swarm of fly already attracted to it. He had his camera out, taking photographs. Ziva stood behind him, keeping her eyes peeled, making sure no one spotted them.

"Ziva, I still don't understand what you expect me to do." Tony stated, continuously clicking his camera, never taking his eyes off the scene. "I mean, the original crime scene wasn't secured, you'll not even let me see it or let me bring in the person you witnessed order the killing."

"Tony cut me some rope please." Ziva pleaded.

"Slack Zee-vah…SLACK!" Tony corrected.

"Whatever." Ziva replied. "Tony, we've worked really hard establishing this operative and I can't let you bring in our target because it'll crush our mission. My father and my control officer are already mad at me for contacting NCIS."

"So why did you Ziva?" Tony asked, stopping taking pictures to look at her.

"Because I thought this petty officer deserved to make it home to his family, to be laid to rest." Ziva answered. "And I thought NCIS supplied more of a chance of that happening rather than the Greek police."

"And of course, NCIS might be able to tell you who this petty officer is, why he was here and why would he be involved with your target, yes?" Tony retorted.

"Well that too." Ziva replied, forcing her hands into her back pockets.

"Maybe if you tell me about your operative, I might be able to help." Tony suggested.

"Tony, it's classified." Ziva stated clearly.

"Ziva, this is me!" Tony retorted, hurt that Ziva didn't automatically trust him.

"And it's still classified." Ziva replied. Tony looked at her questionably. "All you need to know is Elias Petrakis is an extremely dangerous man."

"Ziva, you're still here?" Tony and Ziva both turned to find Rishon walking towards them. "Anthea's shift at the kafenee-oh starts in 20 minutes."

"It's part of my cover…I work at a traditional café during the day and sing at the local bar at night." Ziva explained to Tony. "Oh, and my name is Anthea Callas." She noted him looking at Rishon, taking him from the bottom up. "Tony…this is my control officer Rishon Baran. Rishon…this is Tony Dinozzo." Ziva smiled at Tony. "He was my partner at NCIS." Tony returned the smile.

"I hope you took care of her." Rishon stated coldly, offering his hand for Tony to take. Although it was a nice gesture, there was nothing friendly about it.

"I'd like to think so." Tony replied, just as coldly. He took Rishon hand, both men squeezing each other's hands as tightly as possible.

"I'm going to go." Ziva said, noticing the tension between the two boys. "Rishon …help Tony if he needs it." She placed her hand on Rishon's chest. Tony couldn't help but notice the intimate manner.

"His clearance?" Rishon asked, as if Tony wasn't even there. Ziva glanced at Tony before returning her attention to Rishon.

"On need to know." Ziva replied, her hand still on his chest. She leaned in to him. "Please play nice." She walked away…both Rishon and Tony watching her leave.

* * *

Ziva walked towards the kafenee-oh, ready to start her shift. She had gone back to her room to change. She was now wearing a short ra-ra skirt, with a lemon cami. Her dark hair was straightened and tied back in a neat ponytail. She had spent the last 20 minutes silently praying that Tony and Rishon would not kill each other.

She shuddered at the feeling of tension between them. She had always known Rishon to be jealous…even seven years after breaking up with him. And, Tony had sometimes displayed jealous behaviour when other men showed interest in her…the memories of Agent Brett Langer and Michael coming back to her…but it was always out of concern.

As she entered the kafenee-oh, she spotted Elias Petrakis sitting in her section. She forced her biggest smile and headed towards him. "Yassas Elias." She greeted him with a smile, her Greek accent firmly in place.

"Anthea, my lovely." He replied, with his forced Greek accent. He smiled at her. "I am so sorry about last night."

"It okay." Ziva replied. "I know you busy man." She was trying her hardest to sound like she was struggling with her English.

"You are very understanding, my lovely." Elias said. "Let me make it up to you with a late dinner at my place, after your performance tonight."

"That is very kind." Ziva replied. "Efharisto."

"Oh, my lovely…there is plenty of ways to thank me." Elias said, kissing Ziva on her cheek before leaving. Ziva kept her smile firmly in place, even though she felt disgusted by his touch…after all, she was a professional.

* * *

Tony was in Ziva's room along with Rishon. He had just finished a phone call on his cell and was closing over his phone. "I've arranged for the body to be moved and taken back to America." Tony stated, looking at Rishon. "With the most discretion possible, of course."

"Thank you." Rishon replied. There was silence.

"I mean, there's not much I can do." Tony said, breaking the silence. "Saying I can't draw attention to my investigation." He was obviously annoyed that he could not conduct the investigation the way he wanted.

"Have you any information on the sailor that may help us?" Rishon asked.

"Aahh…it's classified." Tony replied smugly. If they weren't giving him any information, either was he. Rishon just rolled his eyes. "So is this the first time you've worked with Ziva?" Tony asked. He was desperate to get to the bottom of the intimacy between them.

"First time as her control officer." Rishon replied. "Me and her were partners when she first joined Mossad, when she was just 18."

"That must have been fun." Tony laughed. "For her first few months at NCIS, I felt like strangling her every 5 minutes."

"No…she was and probably always will be the best agent I ever worked with." Rishon replied. "Just don't tell her I said that."

"Ah don't worry…nothing worse than Ziva with a big ego." Tony said. "So um…how long were you partners?"

"A few years." Rishon replied.

"And why did you stop working together?" Tony asked. Rishon was silence. "Sorry if I'm prying."

"No, it's cool." Rishon replied. He took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "I um…I screwed up." Tony looked at him, his eyes questioning him.

"And you couldn't fix it?" Tony asked.

"No…I couldn't." Rishon replied.

Just then, Ziva entered the room. "Oh, you both haven't killed each other…how nice." She simply stated before flopping into an empty chair.

"Have you made any progress?" Rishon asked, standing up. Ziva glanced at Tony, then Rishon.

"He wants to have a late dinner…at his place." Ziva replied.

"This is perfect!" Rishon stated.

"It's only perfect if we take the right plan of action." Ziva observed.

"Obviously Ziva." Rishon muttered. "I'm gonna go work on it." He pointed at Ziva. "And you…."

"Are going to do my sound check." Ziva finished.

"Yeah." Rishon agreed, before nodding to Tony. "And take him with you." He disappeared into the bedroom.

"Charming." Tony muttered while Ziva just smiled.

* * *

Ziva and Tony walked towards the bar. "So part of your undercover identity is singing in a bar." Tony stated. "How have you not been found out yet?"

"Hey!" Ziva laughed, pushing Tony as they walked. "I can sing…in fact I have a lot of fans."

"Yeah…dogs." Tony answered, rubbing his arm. He almost forgot Ziva's strength. Ziva laughed.

"I really missed you teasing me." Ziva said.

"Does Rishon not tease you?" Tony asked, still trying to get to the bottom of their partnership.

"We're still trying to figure each other out." Ziva replied, putting a strand of hair behind her hair. "I mean, a lot has changed. Wee were both so young when we first worked together." Suddenly, Ziva's eyes noticed Elias' goon Stefan heading in their direction. "Shit."

She pulled Tony over to the side of the building they were walking past, hoping they weren't noticed. The force of it caused Tony to fall into her, their bodies pressing against each other.

"What the…" Tony began to question her actions.

"Kiss me Tony." Ziva ordered, knowing young couples in love kissing in public was extremely common in Corfu and was often ignored. She could see in Tony's eyes that he was questioning her reasoning. She groaned, knowing she'd have to make the first move if they were going to escape unnoticed.

She cupped his face in her hands and pulled him close, crashing her lips against his. She quickly felt Tony relax, his hands beginning to explore her body and the kiss grew softer, more sensual yet passionate. Ziva herself began to relax, her fingers now nestling the fluff of hair on the nape of his neck, but in her mind she was silently praying Stefan had passed without noticing anything.

* * *

**To be continued…if you want!**

**In the next chapter…the mission continues and Ziva begins to open up to Tony.**


	4. Tell Me, Help Me

**Hey guys, thanks again for the feedback. Hope you like this chapter...there are some Tiva moments but it's more about piecing together all the clues to complete the operative. Please let me know your thoughts. Thanks! :D**

_Previously in...Chapter 3_

"Kiss me Tony." Ziva ordered, knowing young couples in love kissing in public was extremely common in Corfu and was often ignored. She could see in Tony's eyes that he was questioning her reasoning. She groaned, knowing she'd have to make the first move if they were going to escape unnoticed.

She cupped his face in her hands and pulled him close, crashing her lips against his. She quickly felt Tony relax, his hands beginning to explore her body and the kiss grew softer, more sensual yet passionate. Ziva herself began to relax, her fingers now nestling the fluff of hair on the nape of his neck, but in her mind she was silently praying Stefan had passed without noticing anything.

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Tell Me, Help Me**

_About 75 seconds later…_

"Okay Tony – I think we can stop." Ziva said, through the kisses. She began to push Tony away.

"Stop what?" Tony muttered, breathlessly…his lips nibbling on her neck, his hands firmly under her cami.

"The groping…the kissing." Ziva laughed. "I'd like my breasts back please." She gave Tony another push, successfully forcing him to pull away. She eyed his crotch and began laughing. "Um Tony…your morning glory or should that be evening glory?"

"Oh shit!" Tony muttered, before turning his back on Ziva. "I like to see how you'd cope with no sex for three months."

"Just think of McGee naked." Ziva responded, laughing. She was leaning up against the building.

"What the hell was that all about anyway?" Tony asked. "Why did you want me to kiss you?" He was still trying to sort himself out.

"I spotted Stefan…one of Elias' goons, I didn't want him to spot us." Ziva replied. Tony had finally managed to calm himself. He also leaned up against the building so they were both facing the road.

"Tell the truth…you just wanted an excuse to kiss me." Tony stated, jokingly.

"Yes Tony…you are irresistible." Ziva retorted sarcastically. There was silence. Suddenly Ziva began speaking, her voice serious. "Elias Petrakis…we thought he was one of us. He had worked for our country for many years." Tony was now looking at Ziva but Ziva was staring straight ahead. "He stole some very important documents… that could put our country's security at risk. A few months ago we heard he was going to sell the documents to the highest bidder." Ziva finally looked at Tony. "Putting us at risk from our biggest enemies."

"And how do you fit into this?" Tony asked, feeling a certain amount of pride that Ziva finally confided in him. Ziva stared straight ahead again.

"Elias trusts no one…it is the Mossad in him." Ziva responded. "He does however, have a weakness for women…particularly women matching my physical attributes."

"Petty Officer First Class Riley Smith is based here, working from our Kerkira Port. He has a gambling problem and owes at least 143,000 Euros to his debtors." Tony stated, finally giving Ziva some much needed information. "It's quite possible he was involved with Elias for the money to pay off his debts."

"He did know something about the sell." Ziva agreed. "It was one of the reasons Elias had him killed. I get the feeling that our Petty Officer tried to sell to someone Elias didn't want involved in the bid."

"I could get Agent Jardine to check for any chatter…and get McGeek and his geeks to check for any Internet activity." Tony suggested. Ziva looked at Tony.

"You'd do that?" Ziva asked.

"Ziva we're partners…a team." Tony replied. "You don't officially have to be employed by NCIS to be one of us. You already are…" He pointed to his heart "…here." Ziva smiled.

"Thank you Tony…that means a lot." Ziva replied, a genuine smile on her face.

* * *

Tony was in Ziva's room, sitting in front of a laptop, talking to McGee through the web cam. Rishon was pacing up and down behind him. Ziva had left over an hour ago, to do her latest performance on stage.

Suddenly Ziva burst through the door, wearing a sleeveless, low cut, red wrap over dress that fell to just above her knees. Her hair was straightened and hanging down around her face. She was also wearing silver strappy high heels, a simple silver bracelet, a small heart shaped pendant around her neck and silver drop earrings. "Any more information yet?" She asked, not bothering with simple hellos.

"Nikki has heard about a deal going down somewhere in Greece but she can't say it's specifically Petrakis' deal yet." Tony answered. "And McGee's trying to access any transactions or phone calls between our petty officer and your target."

"You're talking to McGee now?" Ziva asked. "On the web cam?"

"No Zee-vah, I'm checking the weather forecast." Tony replied sarcastically. Ziva ignored him and moved towards the laptop, not wanting to miss out on a chance to see McGee.

"Hi Timothy…thanks for doing this." Ziva said, leaning over Tony, her hair falling over Tony's face. Tony swatted her hair away.

"Anything for you Ziva." McGee replied, smiling his widest grin. "You look amazing."

"You too…new haircut?" Ziva asked.

"Well…" McGee muttered with embarrassment, running his fingers through his new short hair.

"Ziva…Petrakis is expecting you!" Rishon snapped. Ziva groaned while Tony rolled his eyes.

"Fine Rishon." Ziva muttered. "Tim, I got to go and pin myself out."

"Pimp Zee-vah…PIMP!" Tony exclaimed. Ziva glared at him before returning her attention to McGee.

"Thanks again Tim, tell the gang I said hello." Ziva stated before blowing McGee a kiss. She turned to Tony, placing her hand on his shoulder. "And thank you." Tony smiled.

"Ziva!" Rishon barked. Ziva walked towards him. He grabbed her arm and led her towards the door, unaware that Tony was looking. "Your father is not happy about this."

"He will be when we get the documents back." Ziva replied. She placed her hand against his chest, a little too tenderly for Tony's liking. "Trust me…when have I ever let you down?"

"Just…stay alive Ziva." Rishon mumbled.

"Yes boss." She replied and exited her room. Rishon could feel Tony's eyes on him.

"What?" He hissed.

"Don't ever grab Ziva like that again." Tony answered simply.

"Or what Tony? You'll hurt me?" Rishon laughed. "Your federal agent ass doesn't scare me…I'm a trained assassin." Rishon disappeared into his room while Tony muttered obscenities under his breath.

* * *

Ziva sat outside at a round glass table with two matching chairs. Behind her there was a large swimming pool and various Greek statues in the surrounding garden. The table was set for dinner for two and the table with lit by candles. She was still wearing the red dress.

Elias Petrakis sat opposite her, his eyes never leaving Ziva. He was wearing cream linen trousers and a chocolate brown button down short-sleeved shirt, with the top four buttons opened, revealing a very hairy chest.

They had both finished their meals and were now sipping on the white wine remaining in their glasses. Suddenly, Elias put down his glass. "Anthea, I must say this one thing before the night can continue." He said.

"Nay?" Ziva replied, her Greek accent automatically flowing.

"You are the most beautiful woman I have ever saw." He answered.

"Efharisto Elias." Ziva replied. She took a gulp of her wine. "You are handsome too."

"Shall we move our evening inside?" Elias asked, his fingers stroking her cheek. Ziva gulped, swallowing some vomit that wished to escape Elias' touch.

"Elias, I'm a good girl." Ziva replied.

"Anthea, I have been very understanding but I am a man and I have my needs." Elias stated, his finger now beginning a trail from her cheek down to her breasts. "I will protect you Anthea, you are my precious flower."

"Nay Elias, I believe you." Ziva answered. Her body shuddering with disgust.

"So shall we?" Elias asked, taking her shivering body as a sign of desire.

"Nay." Ziva replied, taking Elias hand. It was not the first time Ziva had sleep with someone who had disgusted her for the sake of a mission, and it wouldn't be the last. They both stood up and headed inside Elias' luxurious home through the sliding patio doors.

Suddenly, Elias' front door opened and Stefan burst through. Ziva's automatic reaction was to reach for her gun but she was unarmed. Luckily, Elias took her movement as a sign of fear.

"Don't you answer your phone? Check your voicemail?" Stefan snapped, completing ignoring Ziva's presence.

"Excuse me, my precious." Elias said to Ziva before hauling Stefan into another room.

Ziva smiled in return and then quietly laughed. She had always though Stefan was an idiot but his performance a few moments ago had almost sealed his death certificate. Had Stefan not remember what happened Petty Officer Smith? He should – he was the one who carried out his killing. Ziva slowly edged towards the door, trying to listen in to there conversation.

"Would you please stop panicking?" Elias ordered. "You are lucky it was only Anthea here or I might have had to kill you!"

"Elias, it's meant to happen tomorrow night and how can we have a bidding war if only one person wants to bid on it?" Stefan hissed, running his fingers through his hair.

"We'll put off the auction." Elias simply stated. "I'll try my contacts again."

"No way! We can't delay it any longer…it's too risky." Stefan snapped. "I think they're on to us."

"Who Mossad?" Elias laughed. "Those idiots probably haven't even noticed the papers even missing yet."

"Elias, I don't like this." Stefan persevered with his argument. "I want it finished…tomorrow night…at the docks…as planned!"

"But we could lose millions!" Elias exclaimed.

"Or we could do what Smith wanted." Stefan answered.

"No…I refuse!" Elias hissed.

"Well then, find yourself another potential buyer by tomorrow Elias." Stefan snapped before storming out of the room and house.

Ziva quickly jumped back, waiting for Elias' return. Within a few seconds he came out, completely composed, as if nothing had happened. "I'm sorry Anthea, an important matter has come up and I must deal with it." He stated. "I'll arrange a driver to take you home, andaxi?"

"Andaxi." Ziva replied, telling him it was okay. She was relieved she wouldn't have to sleep with him and she possibly found out a location and time for the deal. Now all she had to do was report back to Rishon and her father.

Elias kissed the top of her forehead, the disappointment of missing one night with her clear in his eyes but he had too much to lose for just one night. He walked out of the room and within seconds, one of his servants was in, leading Ziva to a car.

* * *

**To be continued…if you want me to!**

**Next chapter…the mission continues!**


	5. The New Agent

**Chapter 5 – The New Agent**

_The next day…06.00_

Ziva sat at a small table, beside the balcony of her room. She was wearing olive green shorts and a white cami. Her dark hair was roughly pinned up, with a few curls escaping, framing her face. She looked exhausted – as if she hadn't slept all night. She held her face in her hands.

Tony was sitting in front of his laptop, wearing the same clothes as last night. He hadn't slept either or shaved as stubble defined his jaw. "Are you sure there is nothing you're not telling me Ziva?" Tony asked.

"Like what Tony?" Ziva asked, looking at him. "I've replayed this conversation a million times already."

"Its just…McGee is working overtime on this…without Vance's clearance and he isn't coming up with anything." Tony replied.

"He can't even find who Petty Officer Smith contacted for the sale?" Ziva asked.

"No." Tony replied. "Nikki has heard that about a month ago, there was talk about valuable Israeli documents coming up for sale. At that point Russia, Iran and Syria showed interest. Now…she's hearing nothing."

"Tony, there has to be something." Ziva pleaded.

"If there is, we can't find it." Tony simply replied.

Suddenly, Ziva's door opened. Tony and Ziva both automatically reached for their guns. "Breakfast?" Rishon asked, holding up a paper bag, completing ignoring the guns. He was dressed in fresh clothes – jeans and a red t-shirt and was freshly shaven.

"Rishon, where have you been?" Ziva demanded, replacing her gun and standing up. "You disappeared hours ago."

"I was working with the recon team." Rishon replied.

"And you didn't think to involve me?" Ziva snapped. "Tony and I have been working all night, trying to figure out this case."

"And did you?" Rishon asked.

"No…it seems like we've hit a dead end." Tony answered. "We can't find out who is Stefan's potential buyer or who was Smith's."

"Too bad…because we just did." Rishon replied, dumping a brown file in front of them.

"How?" Ziva asked, picking up the file.

"NCIS isn't the only organisation with a top computer geek department." Rishon replied, smugly.

"You mean Cyber Crimes." Tony muttered, taking offence that anyone but him called McGee and his colleagues 'geeks'.

"Wait…so Smith's buyer was…no wonder Elias didn't want him involved." Ziva mumbled, reading the file.

"Yep, selling to him would hurt Petrakis' pride." Rishon continued, rather smugly.

"Who? What?" Tony asked, becoming confused as no names were mentioned.

"Petty Officer Smith contacted Asaf Eshel to buy the documents." Ziva answered. "Asaf Eshel is a rogue Mossad Agent…just like Elias Petrakis. If Elias was to sell to him, he'd lose face."

"And Stefan's buyer?" Tony asked.

"Sargon Ada…a Syrian terrorist." Rishon replied. "He has been on our watch list in the past but he fell off the radar about 15 months ago."

"Looks like he wants to resurface again." Tony stated.

"So what's the plan?" Ziva asked.

"So far, they only have one bidder…Sargon." Rishon replied. "The plan is, we create a cover and bring a new bidder into the mix."

"You mean, bring in a new agent?" Ziva asked. "He'd suspect it."

"Not if the bidder was American." Rishon answered. Both Rishon and Ziva looked at Tony.

"You mean me?" Tony asked. Ziva spun her attention back to Rishon.

"No way…it's far too dangerous!" Ziva hissed. "Plus…he works for NCIS…for the USA. We can't bring him into this operative…Director Vance doesn't even know he's here, never mind involved."

"Ziva, I can do this." Tony said, standing up.

"Tony, this isn't like any of our NCIS missions." Ziva stated, turning her attention back to Tony. "When you're a Mossad agent, facing death is a daily reality…you just accept it. I don't want you in that situation…I don't want you to die."

"And I feel the same about you." Tony simply stated. He walked towards Ziva and placed his hands on her shoulders. "But it is the situation we're in Ziva." He was looking her directly in the eyes. "Why can't you accept it Ziva? We're a team…we're in this together." He gently kissed the top of her head. A sign of intimacy that didn't go unnoticed my Rishon.

Ziva was staring at Tony, trying to read his eyes. She could tell he wasn't going to back down. "Fine if you insist." She muttered. She turned around to Rishon. "Make sure his cover goes deep. Any mistakes in the recon and I'm holding you responsible."

Rishon didn't answer. He knew Ziva was mad at his suggestion. He just let her walk out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"Wow! She's grouchy when she doesn't get her sleep." Tony joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"If you only knew." Rishon muttered, his thoughts drifting back to the arguments they shared when they were together.

"So, my cover?" Tony asked, breaking Rishon's thoughts.

"Yes…your cover." Rishon stated, his mind coming back on track. "We may need your friend McGee's help…" Rishon began to explain the plan and Tony's cover. Tony listened intently…taking every word in.

* * *

To be continued…if you want!

**I know this chapter was short but it was a pretty long scene so I just decided to make it a chapter. **

**The next chapter will see the end to the operative. Yay! (I hate writing this crime stuff – I don't have enough knowledge)**

**All feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated!**


	6. Operation Anderson Bentley

**Chapter 6 – Operation Anderson Bentley**

_13.00 the same day…_

* * *

Tony and Rishon were sitting on the sofa in Ziva's room. Tony had now changed into a cream suit with a white button down shirt and had also showered and shaved. Ziva was behind them, pacing up and down as they went over Tony's cover and plan again.

"With the help of your Cyber Crimes unit, your alias Anderson Bentley has allegedly been on the Terrorist hit list for the last three years." Rishon said, handing Tony the necessary I.D.s – passport, license and birth certificate. "Your hatred for all things Israeli comes from the death of your big brother Landon Bentley, a Marine who was killed by a bomb."

"And my bid?" Tony asked.

"More to the point, where is the money for this supposed bid coming from?" Ziva asked.

"The Israeli government has put up the money." Rishon replied. "Petrakis however, is under the assumption Anderson Bentley is the heir to a multi-million dollar tyre empire."

"But what about the bid?" Tony asked. "It's one thing to establish my cover but it's another to get the actual bid accepted."

"The bids are sealed." Rishon simply replied. "Our intelligence has led us to believe our bid is 3 million more than Sargon. If we have won the bid, Elias Petrakis will contact us through email with a location and time to make the hand over. It will probably be the docks tonight."

"So what do we do now?" Tony asked.

"Get some rest, I guess." Rishon answered. Tony nodded but Ziva headed straight to the door. "Ziva?"

"I have a shift at the kafenee-oh, remember?" Ziva pointed out. "I still have a cover to maintain." She walked out the door, slamming it behind her for the second time today.

* * *

Ziva came back from her shift at the café to find both Tony and Rishon sitting in front of the laptop. "What's going on?" She asked. Rishon turned to face her.

"Our bid was accepted." He answered. "We have to be at the dock at 10pm for the hand over."

"That's it?" Ziva asked. "It was as simple as that?"

"Well, we still have the hand over which is going to be tricky to say the least." Rishon stated. He looked at Tony. "You're really going to have to maintain your cover. Ziva and I will be there as back up."

"No problem." Tony replied confidently, winking at Ziva. Ziva just groaned and headed straight to bed to catch up on some sleep.

* * *

A few hours later, Ziva was changing into her typical black clothing that she used every time she was in a mission or operative. She was pulling on her black roll neck top when Rishon entered the room, also dressed in black.

"You okay?" Rishon asked.

"Yes Rishon, I know my role." Ziva answered, now pulling her hair into a very neat ponytail.

"That wasn't what I asked." Rishon simply replied. Ziva stared at him.

"Just say what you want to say Rishon." Ziva stated.

"You and Tony…you aren't just partners are you?" Rishon asked. "You've slept with him, haven't you?"

"If this is you playing the jealous boyfriend, you lost that right when you broke my heart." Ziva snapped. She tried to walk past him but Rishon caught her arm, causing her to spin around and face him.

"I'm just concerned Ziva." Rishon softly said. "I don't want to see you making the same mistake twice."

"Tony's not you Rishon." Ziva answered, shaking her arm to release herself from his grip.

"I really want to believe that." Rishon stated.

Ziva stared into his eyes. She could see the doubts in them, the same doubts she shared. She knew Tony was a playboy who could never really commit, just like Rishon. And yes, a girl would come along and he'd try to change but in the end, he'd do something stupid like sleep with the girl's half sister, just to push her away…just to make him stop having to admit his feelings. It happened with Rishon and she could see Tony following suit.

"Tony was a one time thing Rishon." Ziva answered. "I never thought I'd see him again and I just wanted to say goodbye. I'm definitely not expecting anything more."

"So you're okay with tonight?" Rishon asked. "With what is going down?"

"I don't want Tony risking his career or his life for us but he made his choice and I'll have his back." Ziva stated. "And before you say anything else, if it was you, I'd be exactly the same. I'd take a bullet for you, without a second thought. I may hate you for breaking my heart but I guess a part of me still loves you and always will. But don't be mistaken…my hatred for you far outweighs the love."

"Of course." Rishon said, nodding his head, a smile forming on his lips as Ziva left the room, glad to hear that she still loved him.

* * *

Tony stood before a full-length mirror, debating whether or not his suit would be better with or without a tie. "You need a hand?" Ziva familiar voice asked from behind him. He spun around to face her.

"What do you think?" Tony asked, holding his tie in front of his suit, and then taking it away.

"Tie, definitely." Ziva replied, taking the tie off him. She began to tie it.

"Really?" Tony asked. "Because Anderson Bentley doesn't really seem like a tie kind of guy."

"Yeah but with a tie you can wear one of these." Ziva answered, holding up a tin pin.

"A bug? Won't he detect that?" Tony asked as Ziva pinned it on the tie.

"We haven't found any system yet that can detect it." Ziva replied. "Here, put this in your ear." She handed him an earwig. "This is the only way we can communicate with you when the deal is going down." Tony put it in his ear. "There, I think you're ready."

"Yep!" Tony agreed. Ziva could see the doubt in his eyes.

"Everything is going to go according to plan Tony." Ziva said, her hand grazing his cheek. "We have your back. I mean I could never face Gibbs…or Abby if anything happened you." She was moving her hand but Tony took her hand in his.

"What about you? How would you feel if something happened me?" Tony asked, his eyes focused on Ziva.

"Huh!" Ziva answered, shrugging her shoulders. "I'd get over it." She smiled, showing she was teasing him. She turned to walk away, hoping Tony would release her hand but he didn't. Instead, he pulled her into him, so Ziva was pressing against him.

"I just had a thought." Tony said, in an almost whisper. "If I do get myself killed tonight, I will have died without having sex in three months."

"I'm not having sex with you Tony." Ziva quickly replied, a smile on her lips.

"I had to try, didn't I?" Tony stated, also smiling as he released Ziva from his hold.

"I'd be disappointed if you didn't." Ziva answered. She gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Good luck Tony." She walked away. Tony watched her leave, a smile on his face.

* * *

_Mandouki Dock…21.57_

Ziva and Rishon were in position, behind a large stack of crates at the dock. They could see Elias at his car, about 50 feet away, holding onto a briefcase. Beside him stood Stefan and two other men. All three of them were carrying guns. "Okay Tony," Ziva said, "…there are four guys on the dock. Three are armed; Elias Petrakis is unarmed. I repeat, there are three armed men along with Petrakis."

"Got it." Tony answered, his finger pressed in his ear, as he drove towards the dock. He stopped at the crates and got out of his car. Ziva nodded to him, giving him reassurance. He did not respond, as he was too afraid he'd draw attention to them.

He got out of the car, taking the briefcase filled with 11 million Euros with him. He began to walk towards Elias. "Stop!" Elias ordered. Tony stood still, holding the briefcase in the air. Stefan ran towards him. He began search Tony for weapons or a wire. Then he checked Tony's I.D., ensuring he was Anderson Bentley.

"He's clean." Stefan answered before pushing Tony forward.

"Hey! Watch the suit!" Tony hissed. "It's Hugo Boss."

Ziva smiled; so far, everything was going to plan and Tony was staying perfectly in character.

"You have my money?" Elias asked.

"It depends…have you my papers?" Tony responded. Elias opened the briefcase and pulled out of the documents. He handed them to Tony. Tony could see the Israeli seal and stamp, indicating they were genuine and original. "Are there any copies?"

"The seal makes them impossible to copy." Elias answered. "They are the one and only copy." Tony nodded.

"My money?" Elias requested again.

"Here." Tony said, handing over the suitcase. "The code is 7292."

Just as Elias was about to take the briefcase, a gunshot echoed around the dock. Stefan dropped to the floor, clutching his shoulder. The other two turned to the crates, where the gunshot originated and began firing.

Tony and Elias scrambled to the floor, both trying to get their hands on Stefan's dropped gun. Stefan was wriggling on the floor, in great pain.

Ziva jumped up from behind the crate and took aim, shooting one of the men directly in the head, killing him instantly, before crutching down again to avoid the other man's fire. Then Rishon stood up and took aim, hitting the last man directly in the chest. The man fired a few shots before dropping to his knees, dead.

Ziva could see Tony was still struggling with Elias. She began to run towards them, with Rishon quickly following. Just as they arrived, they found Elias had won the battle for the gun and was now backing away from Tony to get a clean shot.

Tony was unarmed and powerless. He closed his eyes and began praying – this is not how he saw his death. Then, he heard a shot, quickly followed by another. He waited for the pain and closed his eyes but it didn't come. He opened his eyes to find Rishon lying before him, shot in the gut; he'd obviously jumped in to save Tony. Stefan continued to lie on the floor, wriggling in pain.

Also lying on the floor was Elias, shot in the chest, gasping for breath. Ziva stood over him, the gun pointed at him. "Anthea." Elias muttered, unable to believe it was his precious beauty that had took the shot. Ziva took aim and fired one last shot, putting Elias out of his misery.

She then collapsed beside Rishon, cradling him. "It'll be okay Rishon." She stuttered, tears filling in her eyes. She turned to Tony. "Tony, ambulance now!" The tears begin to flow as she cradled Rishon, his eyelids flickering.

Tony snapped out of his shock at what had just happened and stood up, grabbing the nearest cell phone, that just happened to be Elias'. He dialled for an ambulance, his eyes never leaving a distraught Ziva who was still cradling Rishon.

* * *

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next chapter…will Rishon live or die as Tony leaves Corfu for Washington. And will Ziva be joining him? **


	7. My First

_Hi guys! I just wanted to say thanks for the reviews and feedback. I'm trying my hardest to keep going with this fic. I'm not entirely happy with the final scene of this chapter. I've rewrote it about 6 times now. It's just not coming across how I see it in my head but hopefully, you can still enjoy it._

**Chapter 7 – My first…**

_The next day…_

Ziva sat beside Rishon's hospital bed, her eyes focused only on him, clutching his hand; her fingers snaked through his. She was wearing jeans, a black cami and a red zip up hooded top. Her long dark hair was hanging down in loose bouncy curls. Rishon was lying in a hospital gown, peacefully sleeping; the beeps of the heart monitor the only sign of life.

Tony stood at the window looking into the hospital room. He had been standing there for at least five minutes, not sure if he should interrupt. The last time he had saw that look in Ziva's eyes was when she had fallen for Lt. Roy Sanders, during their 'Dead Man Walking' case.

Finally, Tony drew up the courage to knock against the pane of glass, drawing Ziva's attention to his presence. Ziva looked up, took another glance at Rishon before freeing her hand and heading towards the door. She stepped outside the door and closed it behind her. She then looked at Tony.

"Hey." She muttered, her voice showing the signs of lack of sleep over the last two days.

"How is he?" Tony asked, his eyes focused on Ziva; she looked exhausted. She glanced at Rishon through the window before turning her attention back to Tony.

"Oh he'll be fine." She replied. "The bullet missed all vital organs…he's earned himself another scar for his troubles but he'll wear it with pride." She smiled as she finished the sentence. Tony smiled too. She looked back Rishon. "He'll not be able to travel for at least a week so we're going to stay here." She looked at Tony. "What about you?"

"Everything's fine." Tony replied, his mind still replaying the "we're" in Ziva's last sentence. "Thanks to you not killing Stefan, we now have our murderer and he's on his way back to the ship."

"It was the least we could do…after everything you did for the operative." Ziva said.

"I think Rishon repaid that debt already." Tony answered.

"It was his job Tony…he was the one that put you in danger…it was his job to get you out of it." Ziva simply replied.

"He still took a bullet for me though." Tony replied, his eyes watching Ziva for a reaction. "He still made you worry." Ziva turned away to look through the window again. She knew Tony was desperately trying to get her to open up about her past with Rishon but she didn't want to answer him.

"When are you leaving Corfu?" She asked, still not looking at Tony. She was being blunt, desperately trying to change the subject matter.

"In a few hours." Tony replied, taken aback by her bluntness. "I'm actually heading back to Washington…to Gibbs. He's convinced Vance that we make a good team and we should have never been split up."

"That's nice." Ziva replied, still not looking at Tony.

"That includes you Ziva." Tony stated, thinking she misunderstood him. "You're part of that team."

"Tony you were only reassigned…I was terminated." Ziva answered, finally looking at him.

"So? That's water under the bridge." Tony responded. "Gibbs wants his team back and because of our result here…Vance has to give it to him."

"And what about Mossad Tony?" What about my father?" Ziva asked. "He finally has me back…and he actually trusts and wants me here. Even if I wanted to come back to NCIS, my father might not even let me."

"Wait…even if you wanted?" Tony picked up her tense when referring to NCIS. "Ziva don't you want to come back to us?" Ziva realised Rishon was beginning to stir.

"Tony I have to get back." She stated, avoiding his question. She looked at him. "Have a safe journey home." She headed straight into Rishon's room, not looking back.

Tony watched her take her place beside Rishon again, in total disbelief at what had just happened, before leaving the hospital.

* * *

Ziva's eyes focused on Rishon as he mumbled and groaned, just like he had for the last hour. She continued to hold his hand, letting him know she was there. "Ziva…" He quietly moaned, his eyelids fluttering.

"I'm here." Ziva softly said, her spare hand stroking his hair while her other hand squeezed his. Rishon turned to face her and slowly opened his eyes. "And before you ask…the operative was a success. The papers are back in Israeli hands."

"And Tony? Is he okay?" Rishon mumbled.

"He's fine…thanks to you." Ziva replied. Rishon nodded.

"I thought it was about time I got a new scar to add to my collection." Rishon joked.

"Yeah, well don't be adding any more." Ziva softly said as she continued to stroke his hair.

"I'm fine Ziva." Rishon said.

"This time." Ziva responded sternly. Rishon laughed, and then winced in pain.

"I remember the last time we had this discussion." Rishon said. "It was just after our mission in Iraq, when I was nearly killed by a roadside bomb. I thought those days of us worrying at each other hospital bedsides were long over."

"Me too." Ziva agreed. "I guess I just can't stop myself from caring." Rishon smiled

"You always did care too much…even if I didn't deserve it." He frankly answered. There was silence. Finally, Ziva spoke.

"You need your rest…I'll go." She said, standing up. She tried to walk away but Rishon didn't release her hand. She looked at him, questioning him.

"Has Tony left town yet?" Rishon asked, his own eyes questioning him.

"He's leaving in about an hour or two." Ziva coolly answered.

"You should go to him." Rishon answered. He could tell Ziva was about to protest so he continued, as if to answer her argument. "You and Tony…I'm not blind Ziva. You and him, it's not like me and you…it's nowhere near close. But that could be a good thing because let's face it; we were pretty intense for two kids in love."

"I did love you Rishon…part of me always will." Ziva stated, tears filling her eyes.

"Not as much as I love you." Rishon softly responded. Ziva smiled, kissed the top of his head and left the room, not looking back.

* * *

Tony headed towards the dock, carrying his gear. His helicopter had just arrived take him back on board the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan. As he came closer, he recognised a familiar old Land Rover jeep waiting. He began to smile and headed towards it.

Ziva was leaning up against the jeep. She was now wearing dark jeans and a white fitted short-sleeved button down shirt. Her long dark pulled back into a neat ponytail. "Have you changed your mind?" Tony asked her, his voice filled with hope. "Are you coming with me?"

"No." She said as shook her head. "My place is here."

"With Rishon." Tony added, a hint of jealousy in his voice.

"With Mossad." Ziva corrected.

"So what about NCIS?" Tony asked. "What am I gonna tell Gibbs? He's expecting you back."

"I just need time Tony…to figure out where I belong. I really enjoyed my time at NCIS but I also missed Mossad." Ziva answered. "And I'll phone Gibbs myself…I owe him that."

"So this is goodbye?" Tony asked.

"Of course not." Ziva replied. "I'll be in Washington in a few weeks to meet my father…we can meet up and go for a few drinks."

"Maybe break rule number 12 again?" Tony asked. Ziva scrunched up her nose and shook her head.

"No…Gibbs made that rule for a reason and after this operative, I get why." Ziva replied.

"Rishon?" Tony asked, finally hoping to understand their relationship.

"Yeah." Ziva nodded. "He was my Jeanne…my first…and I guess my only true love." Ziva shoved her hands in her back pocket and stared at the ground, avoiding Tony's gaze, not wanting to see his reaction. "I was about 16 when I met him. He was 18 and my father could see something in him…he knew he'd be the best. We were paired together…probably because my father could tell he would keep me safe. I fell so fast for him my head was spinning and I could tell he felt the same. And yes, the exciting and death defying experiences we shared made for fantastic sex but, deep down, we loved each other." She finally looked up at Tony, feeling more exposed than ever. "When I was 18, Rishon was nearly killed in a roadside bombing in Iraq. For four days he was in a coma…I felt like my world had ended and then, he woke up. At that moment I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him and a few months later, when he asked me to marry him, I didn't hesitate."

"So what happened?" Tony asked, the tension and intimacy between the two finally beginning to make sense.

"As much as Rishon loved me, he loved his freedom more. So when my half sister Netanya came along he saw his chance to push me away and he slept with her…in our bed…and I walked in and caught him." Ziva explained.

"Ziva, I'm sorry." Tony apologised. Ziva shrugged her shoulders.

"It's the past now…our relationship was in the past and definitely not my future." Ziva said. "This mission has helped me move on and deal with it. I can work with him now, although sometimes the lines still get blurred. I just wish I had a rule number 12 back then and didn't sleep with my co-workers."

"But you do realise that because you're no longer my partner, technically we're not breaking rule number 12." Tony pointed out.

"Yeah." Ziva agreed. "But I also realise that I care too much about you to be another notch on your bedpost…I want you as a friend more than I want the sex."

"Are you sure?" Tony asked. "Because the sex was pretty good." Ziva smiled.

"Yeah I'm sure." Ziva answered. "I want more than sex. I deserve more…you deserve more."

"Ziva, I can't give you more." Tony protested, returning to his commitment phobic self.

"I know, and I'm not asking you for more." Ziva replied. "I'm just asking to be a friend."

"So we just forget about that night three months ago?" Tony asked.

"Yes please." Ziva replied. Tony nodded. He noticed the pilot of the helicopter indicating it was time to take off.

"I need to go." Tony said. "Are you sure you don't want to come with me?"

"I belong here…for now." Ziva answered. Tony nodded. He gave her a quick hug and a peck on the cheek.

"I don't think you're done with NCIS yet Ziva." Tony said, looking her in the eyes.

"We'll see…this isn't goodbye." Ziva replied. Tony nodded. He gave her one final hug and headed towards the helicopter. He waved one last time and boarded the helicopter…leaving Corfu and Ziva behind.

* * *

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next chapter…Tony's back in Washington, back where he belongs with NCIS and Gibbs. But Ziva's also in town with her father…and they're heading to NCIS headquarters.**

**Okay, I know you are probably thinking what is going on? Is this not meant to be a Tiva fic? And it is…I'm just moving on to the next part of the story. I don't want the whole 'Broken Rule Number 12' hanging over them when they finally do begin working together again…Ziva still has to fall for another guy and Tony still has to realise his feelings so please keep with me. **

**Any feedback and reviews would be really appreciated. Thanks! :D**


	8. Back in the Bullpen

_Hey guys! Thanks for all the feedback. I just got a promotion at work so I might not be posting very often in the future (probably one chapter a week) so please don't give up on me and this fic. I really appreciate your reviews and feedback!_

**Chapter 8 - Back in the Bullpen**

_Ten days later…06.58…the Bullpen_

Tony sat at his desk, wearing jeans and a green button down shirt with the sleeves rolled up to ¾ length. There was no one else around. He was on his own…his eyes focused on the elevator, waiting for the doors to open. His eyes briefly drifted to the desk opposite him. It was extremely neat, as if it wasn't even used.

Suddenly, the ping of the elevator doors opening brought his attention back to the elevator. Out of the elevator stepped McGee, in one of his usual suits, and Agent Michelle Lee, wearing a stereotypical grey legal eagle skirt suit. They were both giggling, sharing a joke or a moment. Agent Lee was carrying a tray containing three coffee cups.

"Good morning Probie 1, Probie 2." Tony said, preparing himself to be handed one of the cups of coffees. Agent Lee however, didn't hand it over. Instead, she sat one on Gibbs desk, gave McGee one and kept the last for herself.

"Oh, sorry Agent Dinozzo." She replied, noticing Tony's lack of coffee. "I was just used to getting three coffees. Agent Keating took his coffee just like McGee and Agent Langer didn't take any."

"Yeah, well I'm not Agent Langer." Tony replied.

"Sorry again." Agent Lee answered. "You can have mine if you want?" She offered her cup.

"Ah…no." Tony responded, staring at her coolly.

"Michelle, do me a favour and check if Abby is in her lab?" McGee asked, giving Agent Lee an excuse to leave the Bullpen, and Tony.

"Sure Timothy." Agent Lee replied, displaying a grateful smile towards McGee and headed towards the elevators. Tony could feel McGee's eyes on him. He spun around to face him.

"What now McGee?" He snapped.

"Give Agent Lee a break." McGee replied, taking his seat behind his desk. "It's not her fault Ziva isn't here."

"What? That has nothing to do with it!" Tony barked. "I've been here over a week now and every morning she still hasn't brought my coffee…and she knows how I take it…she got it plenty of times when I was team leader."

"Tony, it's not just the coffee." McGee replied. "You've been on her back every minute of every day. This hasn't been easy for her either. She had just settled in to working with Langer and Keating and then we came back. I was here Tony; I saw how she's changed. She's become a great field agent and okay, she can't kick butt like Ziva but she's still good at her job."

"Fine…I'll take it easy on her." Tony muttered.

"That's all I'm asking." McGee retorted. Just then, Gibbs entered the Bullpen.

"Where's Lee?" He asked.

"In the lab, with Abby." McGee replied.

"Ah." Gibbs sighed as he spotted the coffee on the desk. He took a sip. "She's the only one that gets my coffee right." McGee stifled his laughter as Tony banged his head off his desk; Gibbs completely oblivious to the previous coffee argument.

* * *

Ziva and Rishon sat in the lobby area of the Mossad headquarters in Washington. Ziva was wearing jeans, a white t-shirt with a khaki button down waistcoat/vest over it. Her long dark hair was straightened and hanging down to the side. Rishon was wearing jeans and a black t-shirt with some sort of rock band logo on it. Ever so often when he moved, you would catch a glimpse of his bandaged torso.

"What is keeping him?" Ziva asked as she got up from her seat. She began to pace up and down.

"Ziva, would you relax?" Rishon laughed.

"Rishon, we weren't meant to be back here for a few days." Ziva asked. "Why did he summon us early? Do you think it's another operative?"

"Maybe…we are the best team after all." Rishon agreed. "Or maybe he just wanted to see his daughter and make sure she wasn't having tawdry sex with her ex." Ziva stopped pacing and spun around to face Rishon. She gave him her 'don't go there' glare.

"He wouldn't think we got back together, would he?" Ziva asked.

"Of course not…it was a joke." Rishon replied. "Although he always did think of me as a son so he'd probably want me as a son in law."

"Yeah well I'll let Netanya know." Ziva snapped as she sat back down beside Rishon.

"Ouch! That was below the belt." Rishon muttered.

"Sorry…seven years later and it's still a little bit raw." Ziva replied. "Seeing my father has that affect on me."

"It should be me apologising…I was the one in the wrong." Rishon said.

"No, it should be me." Ziva replied. "The last week or so has been great, I forgot how great a friend you make. I can't keep throwing it in your face. So truce?"

"Truce." Rishon agreed, just as the door to the Director's office opened.

"Ziva…Rishon." A stern voice welcomed them. They both stood up and faced the man in the navy blue suit. He was in his early fifties, with tanned skin, his dark hair greying at the sides.

"Hello director." Rishon said with a smile.

"Hi…father." Ziva answered, filled with apprehension.

* * *

Tony was still sitting at his desk, occasionally glancing at Gibbs' desk, waiting for a phone call to tell them they had a case to solve; but it never came. He would then look across at Agent Lee's desk. Agent Lee and McGee were sitting there, talking and laughing, as McGee pretended to show Agent Lee something on the computer.

Tony grunted. So much had changed in the space of a few months. It used to be him and Ziva having the sly conversation under Gibbs' nose and McGee was the one left on his own. "I wonder how Abby feels about this." Tony muttered, not liking McGee's new bond with Agent Lee.

"Dinozzo, McGee, Lee…take an early lunch." Gibbs finally said. All three jumped to attention.

"Boss?" Tony asked, looking for further explanation.

"Your presence, along with McGee has been requested at M-Tac at 14.00…a case debriefing." Gibbs simply said. He stood up and walked towards the elevator.

"What case?" Tony called after him.

"Operation Anderson Bentley." Gibbs replied. A big smile formed on Tony's lips.

"Early lunch it is." He stated happily, quickly following Gibbs.

* * *

Ziva stood in the elevator leading up to the Bullpen, along with Director David, Rishon and Director Vance. She pressed her hands into her stomach, hoping to control the butterflies within her. Of course it didn't work. She didn't know why she felt so nervous. Part of her wanted to believe it was because her father was going to meet her former NCIS teammates, including Gibbs, who her father thought was responsible for killing his only son, Ari.

She could feel Rishon's eyes on her; she glanced at him, forcing a nervous smile. He winked at her, hoping to reassure her. She could hear her father and Director Vance making small talk. The politeness of it all was making her even more nervous. Suddenly the elevator stopped and the ding of the bell signalled the opening of the doors. "Here goes nothing." She muttered and stepped out into the bullpen.

"Ziva!" She heard Abby's familiar voice cry before she felt Abby's body engulf her in a hug, so powerful she stumbled back and was nearly knocked off her feet.

"Abby…it's so great to see you." She managed to squeeze out of her mouth. Behind Abby, she could see McGee, Gibbs and Ducky also waiting to greet her. Further behind them stood Tony, his arms crossed, staring at her with intent as he leaned against his desk. "Hey guys." She finally said.

"Ziva, it's lovely to see you again." Ducky said, while Gibbs preferred to nod his welcome and McGee waved his welcome. Ziva smiled and nodded in return, slightly embarrassed. There was silence. She could tell they were waiting to get introduced to Rishon and her father.

"Um…Director David, Rishon…these were my NCIS co-workers." Ziva finally began to speak. "Dr. Mallard, medical examiner; Special Agent Jethro Gibbs, team leader; Special Agent Timothy McGee, Cyber Crimes expert; Abby Sciuto, forensics expert; and back there is Special Agent Anthony Dinozzo, senior field agent and our NCIS Liaison." Ziva smiled, hoping to force a smile out of Dinozzo but it failed.

"It is nice to finally put a name to the faces." Director David said. "Shall we move on?"

"Of course, this way Director." Director Vance said and began leading him to M-Tac, with Gibbs following. The others held back.

"So, you're Rishon?" Abby asked.

"Yes I am." Rishon replied. Abby and McGee looked at each other and smirked.

"Weapons carrier." They both said at the same time, mentally reliving the story of Ziva losing her virginity. Rishon shot Ziva a look, and Ziva's cheeks began to blush.

"So um…you're the one who took a bullet for our Tony?" Abby asked, desperately trying to change the subject when she sensed Ziva's embarrassment.

"I was just doing my job." Rishon replied.

"Modest and extremely cute." Abby said. "Ziva I don't know how you manage to get any work done at Mossad." All Ziva could do was smile. Now it was Rishon's turn to get embarrassed as Abby and McGee led him away to M-Tac.

Ziva stopped at Tony. She gently tapped his foot with hers; her arms were crossed, pushing her breasts up. "Aren't you gonna welcome me?" She asked light heartedly.

"It depends…are you back?" He asked, his stern mood not changing.

"I'm back for a debriefing." Ziva answered.

"Well then no…I'm not going to welcome you." Tony retorted and began to follow the others. Ziva reached out and grabbed his arm, forcing him to turn and face her.

"Tony, what the hell is with the attitude?" Ziva asked. Tony's stern eyes looked over at Ziva's desk. Ziva's eyes followed him.

"See that desk…it should be yours, not Agent Lee's." Tony answered and then looked back at Ziva.

"I've heard that Agent Lee has become quite a good field agent." Ziva responded. "McGee and Gibbs seem to like her." Tony grunted.

"She's not you." Tony stated, his eyes burning into Ziva.

"And I wasn't Kate." Ziva replied, not intimidated by his stare. "Things change." Ziva walked away, following the others; knowing Tony's gaze was still on her, and she didn't dare look back.

* * *

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next Chapter…After the debrief, Ziva's future is decided but Tony's still not happy.**

**Okay, I know this chapter was very angst-ridden and it doesn't look like there is any way for Tiva to happen but it will eventually.**

**On a happier note, Rishon will soon be exiting the story and Ziva's suspected 'soul mate' will soon be arriving so please stick with it.**

**Any feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated. **


	9. Gibbs' Team

_Hey guys, sorry I haven't posted all week. I haven't really had much time as my new job is keeping me so busy but hopefully everything will settle in a week or two and I'll be back to posting at least twice a week. This chapter is a bit angsty but I hope you enjoy!_

**Chapter 9 – Gibbs' Team?**

_M-Tac –14.00_

Director Vance, Director David, Gibbs, McGee, Tony, Rishon and Ziva were in M-Tac, continuing their debrief of 'Operation Anderson Bentley'. Gibbs, Vance and Director David were standing at the large glass screens, discussing the evidence McGee was helpfully bringing up on the screens.

Tony, Ziva and Rishon were sitting down, trying to follow the debrief. Suddenly Rishon leaned over Ziva to reach Tony. "Tony, I just want to say…thanks for all your help." He said. "The operative might not have been successful without you."

"I was just doing my job." Tony hissed, repeating Rishon's line when Abby questioned him about the shooting.

Rishon looked at both Ziva and Tony. He could sense the tension between them. He stood up and joined the others at the screens to get away from the tension.

Ziva sat, her eyes glued to the screen, trying to take in the evidence while her fingers drummed on the arm of the chair, showing her annoyance.

"Would you please stop that?" Tony finally hissed, grabbing her hand. Ziva's head spun around to face him. She snatched her hand back.

"Sorry!" She snapped in a whisper. "Rishon was only trying to be polite; you didn't have to be such an ass."

"I'm an ass?" Tony laughed quietly. "Rishon invented being an ass; but hey, of course you're gonna defend your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend!" Ziva exclaimed, quietly.

"Well you seem pretty close." Tony retorted. "It looks like staying in Corfu to kiss him better was the best decision you ever made."

"Rishon is only a friend…a good friend." Ziva answered. "I can talk to him…like I used to be able to talk to you."

"Ziva…" Tony began, suddenly feeling like an ass but Ziva put up her hand, signally him to stop; that she didn't want to hear it.

"I'm trying to follow this debrief." She hissed. She stared at the screens but she couldn't take anything in, and she was sure Tony was the same.

* * *

The debrief had lasted nearly two hours but Ziva hadn't taken anything in. Thankfully, Rishon had taken control, for both her and Tony. "So it's agreed then?" She could hear Director Vance say. "Ziva will be returning to NCIS, as a liaison?"

"What?" Ziva asked, suddenly being snapped into reality. She could feel the panic building up inside her and she didn't know why.

"Yes but I want her to actually act as a liaison this time." Director David stated. He turned his attention back to Ziva, who was still in shock. "Meaning I want weekly written and verbal reports."

"Of course." Ziva muttered.

"This case has definitely showed the importance of a liaison between two agencies to be able to work together to get good results." Director David said as he headed towards the exit with the others.

Ziva was frozen on the spot. She hadn't expected her father to let her go…or expected Vance to have fought for her. She could feel Tony's gaze on her and she forced a smile. She could feel Rishon take her arm and then she watched Tony follow the others out.

"Ziva, are you okay?" Rishon asked her. She looked at him, her eyes puzzled.

"I just didn't expect…" She began but trailed off.

"Wow! You really were out of it." Rishon exclaimed. "The last twenty odd minutes of that debrief focused on how your actions…your inclusion of NCIS actually saved our operative. It brought up how vital your liaison role was."

"So now I'm back on the team?" Ziva asked. They began to walk out of M-Tac.

"Yes…and I thought you'd be happy." Rishon added.

"I am." Ziva replied. "It was just a delayed reaction. I mean, what about Agent Lee?"

"I think she's staying but I'm sure Tony will have her giving up her desk." Rishon replied, trying to lighten the mood. They began to walk down the stairs.

"And what about you?" Ziva asked. "I thought we were the best team ever." She was joking.

"No…I was just the best control officer ever." Rishon answered, also joking. "I have a new operative waiting for me in Spain." Ziva smiled.

"Good." Ziva said, finally reaching the bottom of the stairs. She looked around to find Agent Lee already changing desks, with McGee's help, while Tony just stared at Ziva. She could see Abby approaching fast and prepared herself for contact.

"Ziva! You're part of the team again?" Abby exclaimed, hugging her.

"Yes I am." Ziva confirmed with a happy smile, still aware of Tony's gaze.

"You know what this means?" Abby asked. Ziva looked at her, questioning her. "We have to hit the town to celebrate." Ziva laughed and agreed as Abby hugged her again. Suddenly, Ziva's nerves and panics were gone; she was back home, finally.

* * *

_Some random nightclub…21.00_

Ziva, Abby, McGee, Lee, Palmer and Tony had headed to a nightclub to celebrate the new team line up. 'Let's Dance' by Vanessa Hudgens echoed around the nightclub; encouraging almost everyone there to dance.

Abby was already on the dance floor, along with McGee and Palmer; desperately trying to get them to dance like her. Ziva and Agent Lee were at one end of the bar, getting the drinks.

"Thanks for moving desks Michelle." Ziva said as they waited for the bartender to bring them their drinks. "Although you didn't need to."

"Trust me, I wanted to." Lee replied. "If I had to spend one more day with Dinozzo's eyes glaring at me I think I'd finally snap and shoot him."

"Yeah, he can be difficult." Ziva agreed, glancing across the bar to where Tony was standing alone, downing shots. The bar tender arrived with their drinks. They both took them.

"So, will we hit the dance floor?" Agent Lee asked.

"You go…I'll be over in a minute." Ziva answered. Lee nodded and headed towards Abby, McGee and Palmer. Ziva made her way towards Tony. She slipped in beside him and put her drink down on the bar. "So Dinozzo, see anyone to end your three month sexless itch?"

The group around the bar suddenly came larger, forcing Ziva closer towards Tony but he didn't even flinch. He focused straight ahead and downed another shot. "Maybe." He replied, his voice stern.

"C'mon Tony, drop the attitude…I'm back." Ziva stated with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

"Only because daddy dearest requested it." Tony hissed, finally turning to glare at her.

"What is that suppose to mean?" Ziva asked, her eyes searching his for answers.

"You didn't even want to come back Zee-vah!" Tony snapped.

"That's not true!" Ziva protested. 'Please Don't Stop the Music' by Rhianna began to play.

"Really? Because your eyes told a completely different story in M-Tac." Tony retorted.

"Screw you Tony!" Ziva hissed. She grabbed her drink and turned to walk away.

"You already did." Tony whispered in her ear. She glared at him and fought the urge to respond. She walked away, spying an attractive curvy blonde woman keeping her eyes on Tony, trying to figure out if he was available. "He's all yours." She told the blonde as she walked past and headed towards the rest of the team.

"Ziva! Finally!" Abby cheered as a smiling Ziva joined the dancing group. "Wait, what about Tony?"

"He has an itch to scratch." Ziva answered. The whole group apart from Ziva glanced over to the bar to find Tony in conversation with the blonde.

"Go Tony!" McGee stated as the group continued dancing; Ziva forcing herself to look happy when inside, her heart and mind were working overtime; trying to figure out how her relationship with Tony got so bad so quickly.

* * *

'Tell Me' by P Diddy and Christina Aguilera blasted around the nightclub. Lee and Palmer had now disappeared into a darken corner; McGee had gone to the bar to sit down, totally exhausted by his dancing antics; it was only Ziva and Abby now dancing from the team.

Ever so often Ziva could see Tony in the corner of her eye, sitting at the bar, with the blonde; his lips feasting on her neck. She couldn't help but feel jealous although she constantly reminded herself that Tony was a friend and this was what he did with women.

She could feel someone snaking their hands around her waist; their groin pushing against her backside; all in time to the music. "Remove your hands if you know what's good for you." She said, turning to face the person who dared to touch her.

She came face to face with the biggest blue eyes she ever saw, a perfectly chiselled jaw, a defined nose and short sandy blonde hair. The matching body was also perfectly defined and toned, with not too many muscles. "Wow! He's a real man! A handsome man!" Was Ziva's first thought.

"Sorry, I couldn't resist." The handsome man replied, removing his hands. "Warner Smith." He offered his hand for her to shake. In the corner of her eye she could see Abby, urging her on.

"Not interested." Ziva replied and turned her back to continue dancing. The man stepped around her so he was in front of her.

"C'mon, give me a break." He said. "It's not easy being around someone as beautiful as you." She stifled her laughter, thinking it was only Tony Dinozzo that could be so cheesy. He offered his hand again. He was definitely persistent. This time Ziva took it.

"Ziva David." She answered as she shook his hand.

"Can I get you a drink? Share a dance? Grab your ass again?" He asked, joking.

"Thanks but no thanks." Ziva replied. She leaned in to him, to whisper in his ear. "I have an early start." She pulled away and headed straight towards Abby, who had now joined McGee.

"Wait! Can I at least have your number?" He asked.

"Maybe." She answered, before leaving the club with Abby and McGee following; Abby's eyes questioning what she was doing. The handsome man watched her leave, puzzled by her mysterious ways.

* * *

_Tony's apartment…02.00_

Ziva stood outside Tony's door, her hand in mid-air, about to knock. "Ziva, what are you doing?" She muttered. She turned to walk away but then spun around and knocked. "Great no going back now." She stood up straight, aware of the footsteps on the other side of the door.

Tony finally pulled open the door; a blanket wrapped around his lower body; his hair tussled. He had a big grin on his face, which quickly disappeared when he noticed Ziva. "Ziva?" He finally said, rearranging the blanket to ensure his modesty.

"Tony…the whipped cream's melting." A female voice called from inside, followed by a girly giggle.

"This was a mistake…I'll go." Ziva stated and turned to walk away but Tony pulled her back.

"Ziva, wait!" He said. He stepped out into the hallway, tilling the door behind him. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought we should talk but you're obviously busy." She answered before turning to walk away again. She stopped and turned around again. "You were right by the way."

"What?" Tony asked, confused.

"I had my doubts about coming back." Ziva replied. "I wanted to be here but I was also worried about how things would be if I did come back. That night Tony…that night that rule number 12 didn't exist, I was so worried that it would change things between us."

"What? You were afraid I was gonna fall for you?" Tony laughed. "Ziva, I have a hot blonde, covered in whipped cream waiting for me. Is that really the actions of a guy who wants to be with you?"

"I was just worried about the atmosphere between us." Ziva answered. "I obviously forgot that you're always a jerk."

"I'm a jerk?" Tony laughed. "I'm the one being forced to work with someone who doesn't even want to be here."

"I want to be here." Ziva confidently replied.

"Well fine." Tony snapped.

"Fine!" Ziva agreed. "Oh and please stop making references to the fact I was stupid enough to sleep with you. I'm desperately trying to forget that you saw me naked."

"It's already forgotten." Tony hissed. Ziva stepped closer, as if to respond but changed her mind and stormed off, not looking back.

"Tony!" The girl called again. Tony muttered something under his breath and entered his apartment again; the mood was definitely killed.

**To be continued again…if you want!**

**Next Chapter…Ziva bumps into the guy from the nightclub again.**

**Please read and review! Thanks :D**


	10. We Meet Again

_Hey guys! Sorry I didn't get anything posted during the week. I'm still super busy at work and I'm starting to feel some writers block kicking in so please read and review for inspiration. Thanks!_

**Chapter 10 – We Meet Again**

_NCIS Headquarters – The Gym…07.15_

Agent Lee was sitting on an exercise ball, dressed in her grey NCIS gym tracksuit; her eyes wide with bewilderment as she watched Ziva and McGee wrestling on the mat. In reality, she was watching McGee's body getting bent every possible way as Ziva had complete control of the match up.

"Ziva, please!" McGee begged. "My body already hurts in places I never knew existed because of last night's dancing."

"Tim, I have spent the last three months training with Mossad assassins." Ziva replied, putting him in a headlock. "This is nothing. Sock it up."

"I think she means suck – SUCK it up." Gibbs answered, who was standing at the side of the mat, with a stopwatch.

"That's not helping boss." McGee replied between clenched teeth. Gibbs stifled his laughter.

"Sorry I'm late boss." Tony said as he jogged into the gym. "I see you started without me." His eyes focused on Ziva crucifying McGee.

"By all accounts, I'm sure you already had a workout this morning." Gibbs replied. Tony looked at Ziva, then at Gibbs. "McGee told me about your hot blonde." Gibbs answered, as if reading his mind. Tony nodded and smiled.

Ziva, momentarily distracted by Gibbs comments, finally let McGee pin her. "Yes!" McGee cheered. Ziva made one last push and flipped over so McGee was now under her, his shoulders pinned to the mat by her knees. McGee looked up at her, puzzled at what he would have to do to escape.

Thankfully, Gibb's ringing cell phone gave him a few seconds breather. All eyes were on Gibbs as he took the call. He closed over his cell phone again. "Explosion down town. Lieutenant Commander involved. Grab your gear."

"Thank you!" McGee muttered, thankful for the break as Lee, Tony and Gibbs already made their way towards the exit. Ziva pulled him to his feet.

"Good job McGee." She said. "You lasted longer than I thought."

"My pleasure." He muttered, following her out; his body aching.

* * *

The journey to the scene of the explosion was relatively quiet. Tony was driving, Agent Lee was quietly going over her notes on the protocol for an explosion crime scene and Ziva was massaging McGee's aching body.

They pulled up at the scene, to find a fire truck, ensuring the car that was involved in the explosion was no longer on fire. They jumped out of the truck and began getting out their gear, waiting for the fire service to give them the okay to enter the scene. Gibbs' car was already there.

"So did you get your itch scratched?" Ziva asked Tony as they gathered the gear. It was the first thing she had said to Tony this morning.

"Sort of." He answered. "The mood was kinda killed." Ziva looked at him.

"Sorry." She apologised, knowing her late night visit was responsible.

"I'm the one who should be saying sorry." Tony replied, finally looking at Ziva. "I know you want to be here and I promise I will no longer be a jerk." Ziva smiled.

"Don't make promises you can't keep Dinozzo." She retorted, turning her attention back to the gear.

"Ha ha." He muttered, before moving closer to whisper in her ear. "However, for the record; I don't want to forget you naked. Something that good is hard to forget." Ziva chewed her lower lip, in a desperate attempt to stop her cheeks turning red. She finally looked at him.

"Tony Dinozzo…always the charmer." She stated before walking away, towards Gibbs. Tony watched her leave, lightly laughing in his cocky usual way, knowing he embarrassed her.

* * *

"Boss, what do you want us to do?" Ziva asked.

"You can be in charge of the photos." He replied, handing her the camera. "Dinozzo can do the sketching; McGee and Lee, the bagging and tagging." Ziva nodded.

"How long until we can get in?" Ziva asked, eyeing the burnt out car that was no longer smouldering.

"Hopefully now." Gibbs replied as the fire lieutenant came towards him.

"The scene is now secure Special Agent Gibbs." The lieutenant said, taking off his helmet to reveal gorgeous blue eyes.

"Oh…my…" Ziva stuttered, instantly recognising those big blue eyes. The lieutenant laughed, also recognising her.

"Ziva David…what a surprise!" He stated.

"Hey…Warner Smith." She answered. She was becoming flustered.

"You know each other?" Gibbs asked confused.

"I had my hands on her ass last night." The lieutenant answered, his eyes never leaving Ziva. Gibbs looked at the lieutenant's hands.

"He grabbed it when we…I was dancing." Ziva quickly added, not wanting Gibbs to get the wrong idea.

"And you escaped with all your fingers…impressive." Gibbs stated, amused at Ziva's discomfort.

"Lucky for me, I removed them when asked." The lieutenant answered. "So I never had you down for a federal agent."

"And I never had you down as a fire-fighter-lieutenant-person." Ziva stuttered, her cheeks growing redder by the second. "God that fire is hot."

"The fire is out Ziva." Gibbs stated, stifling his laughter.

"So am I going to get your phone number?" The lieutenant asked, completely ignoring Gibbs.

"I'm working." Ziva replied.

"Go on Ziva…give him your number." Gibbs said. Ziva spun around to give him the 'If you weren't my boss I'd kill you' glare.

"Sure." Ziva replied, through clenched teeth. She turned her attention back to the lieutenant and began giving him her number as Gibbs walked away to talk to Ducky who had just arrived at the scene.

* * *

Tony watched the whole scene unfold from the back of the truck, wondering who Ziva was talking to and handing out her phone number to. "McGee, do you know who Ziva is talking to?" He asked.

McGee looked up and smiled. "Huh! What a coincidence!" He simply said. "Abby will never believe it."

"Probie, the guy?" Tony asked.

"He's the guy that hit on Ziva in the club last night." McGee answered, just as Ziva headed towards them.

"The scene secured?" Tony asked her.

"Huh?" She asked, still flustered from earlier events.

"The scene?" Tony asked. "You know the fire lieutenant you were talking to…he would have told you."

"Um yeah…Gibbs wants you sketching. Tim…Michelle, you're on bag and tag." Ziva answered.

"Are you okay?" Tony asked.

"Yeah it's just hot, that's all." Ziva answered.

"What? The fire or the lieutenant?" Tony commented before heading towards the scene. Ziva spun around to face McGee, her eyes questioning him. Tim shrugged his shoulders and followed Tony, fighting his urge to laugh.

* * *

Ziva was now in Abby's lab. She had come down about twenty minutes ago, to deliver the evidence from the crime scene and hadn't returned to the bullpen. She was sitting on a stool, watching Abby create her various samples.

"So you definitely swapped numbers?" Abby asked. "You didn't blow him off with a fake number?"

"No…I was too afraid to…in case Gibbs overheard and gave out my real number." Ziva answered, twirling a clean DNA swab stick between her fingers.

"Ah…good old Jethro playing cupid. Who knew?" Abby simply stated with a smile. "So has he called?"

"Please! It's only been a few hours." Ziva laughed. Suddenly she became serious. "Wait, should he have called by now?" Abby's smile grew wider as she looked up at Ziva.

"I guess that answers my next question about whether or not you want him to call." Abby smirked.

"Well I…I…" Ziva stuttered. Abby began to laugh. Ziva tossed the swab stick at Abby. "Well, he's hot…very hot."

"Oh I hear yeah." Abby agreed. "But who knew? Under all that Crazy Ninja Chick stuff was a babbling, gooey girl."

"Shut down!" Ziva laughed, swatting Abby on the arm.

"Shut up Ziva, shut UP!" Abby corrected, giggling.

"Oh! I am a girl!" Ziva cried, holding her head in her hands.

"What's going on?" Tony asked, suddenly appearing in Abby's lab.

"Oh Ziva just finally caught up with her biology." Abby joked as Ziva continued to hold her head in her hands. "What can I do for you Tony?"

"Gibbs was wondering what was keeping Ziva." Tony replied, eyeing Ziva. She reluctantly lifted her head.

"I'm coming." She stated, sliding off the stool.

"Please do." Tony retorted. "I already had a Gibbs' slap for not checking your whereabouts 10 minutes ago." Just then, Ziva's cell phone began to ring. She looked at the caller I.D.

"Oh…oh…it's him!" She exclaimed, waving the phone in front of Abby.

"Who's him?" Tony asked, trying to sound completely casual but there was a jealous undertone.

"The super hot fire-lieutenant-guy." Abby explained. "Ziva answer it or I will." Ziva flicked open the phone.

"Hello?" She stuttered, turning her back on Tony and Abby. "Hi…yes it's me." She began to twirl her hair with her finger. She giggled. "Oh stop!"

"Is Ziva being a girl?" Tony asked, astonished. Abby nodded enthusiastically, her eyes never leaving Ziva.

"Huh uh…sounds good." Ziva continued. "I'd love to…see you then. Bye!" Ziva closed over her phone and spun around to face Abby and Tony.

"Well?" Abby squeaked, filled with excitement.

"I have a date…with Warner Smith…tomorrow night." Ziva answered, a huge smirk on her face.

"Yay!" Abby cried, jumping up and down.

"Yay! Whoop-de-do!" Tony sarcastically cheered, joining Abby in her jumping. Then, he suddenly stopped. "Bullpen now Ziva or I'll not be the only being Gibbs' slapped."

"Fine." Ziva replied, the smile not fading as she followed Tony while Abby giving her the thumbs up sign as she passed.

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next Chapter…Will Ziva get to go on her first date with Warner or will the case ruin her chances? **


	11. The First Kiss

**Hey guys, the rest of my week is looking pretty busy so I'm posting this now because I might not have time to update at the weekend. I hope you enjoy it. Btw, thanks for all the great feedback and reviews. It was a great inspiration to me, especially as I'm heading into a territory I hate writing about...love and romance. I find the angst so much easier. **

**Chapter 11 – The first kiss…**

_The next day…Interrogation room…16.45_

Ziva and Tony stood in the surveillance bay of the interrogation room, watching Gibbs interrogate an officer who the team thought was involved in the murder of a Lieutenant Commander via car bomb the day before.

Ziva was wearing jeans and a yellow halter-top. Her hair was hanging down, in loose bouncy curls. Tony was wearing a suit. Both there eyes were focused on Gibbs. "So Zee-vah, all ready for the big date?" Tony asked.

"Huh?" Ziva asked, momentarily forgetting about her plans for this evening. "Oh, not if Gibbs doesn't crack this guy."

"Aw, poor fire lieutenant Smith." Tony sighed sarcastically. "His fate is in the hands of Gibbs." He looked at Ziva, trying to gauge her response. "So, do you think you two will you know?" Ziva spun around to face Tony.

"Will what?" Ziva asked.

"You know…slide down the fireman's pole?" Tony replied, a teasing glint in his eyes.

"Tony! I'm not even gonna justify that with an answer!" Ziva exclaimed.

"C'mon Zee-vah!" Tony laughed. "Talking about our sex lives…it's what we do."

"No Tony, we talk about your sex life, not mine." Ziva hissed, becoming red with embarrassment.

"Aw, Crazy Ninja Chick is all flushed!" Tony laughed. "You want to kiss him, you want to love him, you want to marry him." He was singing, teasing her.

"Tony!" Ziva exclaimed. "It is just a date!" Ziva caught the glint of relief in Tony's eyes. Now she knew it was her turn to tease him. "And if he wants to kiss me…love me…marry me…I'm all for it." She noticed the slightest spark of jealousy in his eyes. "After all, he is quite hot." She smiled as Tony turned his attention back to Gibbs.

Just then, they watched Gibbs head out of the interrogation room. "Ziva, I wouldn't get too excited about your date." Tony stated, knowing what was coming. They both turned their attentions to the surveillance room door. It burst open.

"He's telling the truth!" Gibbs barked as he entered the room. "He's not our guy."

"Aww…it looks like we have to start all over again!" Tony said, with a sarcastic undertone. He looked at Ziva. "Guess you'll have to cancel that date." He was smiling.

"What date?" Gibbs asked.

"Oh, just that fire lieutenant from the crime scene yesterday." Ziva replied. "I can cancel, it's no big deal."

"No…don't." Gibbs answered, taking both Ziva and Tony by surprise. "You go have your date."

"But boss…" Tony began.

"Dinozzo, we don't need Ziva here." Gibbs stated. "It won't take all five of us to try and create some new leads. David…I was the one that made you hand over your phone number. Go and have fun but be here at 0700 tomorrow."

"Okay." Ziva muttered in shock. Gibbs left the surveillance room. She glanced at Tony who was also confused and shocked.

"I guess your date is still on." Tony stated, shocked by what had just happened.

"I guess so." Ziva agreed, also still in shock.

* * *

Tony sat at his desk, his mind completely blank. He was sure the last suspect they brought in was the killer but obviously not. Gibbs' gut was always right; but now, they were running out of leads. In fact, he couldn't come up with any and he was sure McGee and Lee were the same, judging by their own frustrated expressions at their desks.

He looked over at Ziva's desk. It was empty; although her desk lamp and computer were still on. He glanced at the clock; it was near 20.00. She was probably in the bathroom, getting ready for her date.

Suddenly, he heard McGee's lame attempt at a wolf whistle and looked up. Ziva was heading towards her desk, followed by Abby. She was wearing a short black sleeveless dress that fell to just above her knees, with a 'sweetheart' neckline and 'keyhole' back. It was simple but elegant. Her long dark hair was hanging down with a few bouncy curls framing her face. She was wearing silver drop earrings, a small silver heart pendant and a delicate silver bangle watch. She was wearing silver strappy high-heeled sandals and carried a silver clutch purse.

"Wow Ziva!" McGee said. "Lieutenant Smith is gonna have to put out some fire tonight because you look hot!" Ziva laughed while Abby glared at him.

"What? She looks good…real good." McGee defended himself, which Abby answered with a Gibbs' slap.

"McGee's right Ziva…you look amazing." Agent Lee added. Ziva smiled.

"Thanks Michelle." She said and then stopped at her desk to switch everything off. She was standing in front of Dinozzo, waiting for his comments.

"So Tony, what do you think?" Abby asked, she was obviously not as patient as Ziva. Ziva spun around to face him, hoping to read his face. At that moment, he wasn't giving anything away. He shrugged his shoulders.

"Ugh…I guess you look nice if you were going for that whole 'elegant' thing." He answered, his face serious. Then, he began to smile, his trademark charming glint returning to his eyes. "Seriously Ziva, you look beautiful…he's a lucky guy."

Ziva's cheeks began to blush; it was overwhelming having her teammates looking at her; especially Tony. His gaze was so intense she could almost feel him undressing her.

"Thanks." She muttered, desperate to break the gaze but she couldn't. Tony obviously could though as he suddenly looked back at his computer.

"Hope you have fun tonight…on your date…while the rest of us try to solve a murder." He stated coolly, obviously wanting to break the tension. Ziva forced a small smile.

"Oh she will." Abby quickly answered. "And I want the details to prove it." Ziva laughed.

"Of course." She answered. She glanced at her watch. "I better go. Have fun solving the case." She began to walk away.

"You too." Abby called.

"Yeah and don't go sliding down any firemen's poles." Tony muttered to himself, finally looking up to watch Ziva's perfectly shaped behind sashaying towards the elevators.

* * *

Ziva and her date Warner sat in a candlelit Italian restaurant. So far, the night and conversation was going well. They had already discussed where they were from - Ziva from Israel, Warner from Chicago; favourite food – Chinese for Warner, Italian for Ziva; favourite drinks – white wine and water for Ziva, beer and fruit juice for Warner; and finally, their favourite colours – blue for Warner, white for Ziva.

Next, they had moved on to their families. Warner had been extremely open; discussing his parents (who were still happily married), his older sister Sophie (a workaholic doctor who can't commit), his younger sister Madison (currently at college studying play therapy) and his younger brother Chase (the star of his high school football team and class president).

Now it was Ziva's turn. Her finger traced over the rim of her glass, trying to hide her awkwardness of the situation. "Well, I guess my family is not as typical." She said, concentrating on her glass. "My mother died a few year ago and I'm not very close to my father."

"I'm sorry." Warner said, his voice filled with empathy.

"It's fine." Ziva replied, now stroking the neck of her glass.

"Do you have any siblings?" He asked. Ziva paused before looking up.

"Um no." She lied. "I'm an only child." Warner nodded, showing her he understood. "Anyway, enough about my family history or lack of it…I really want to know how you became a fire fighter." She smiled.

"Well I always wanted to help people but I never really had my sisters' brains to become a doctor or anything." Warner began. "So, I considered joining something like the army or navy or police force…the funny thing is I never even considered the fire service."

"So what changed?" Ziva asked.

"My friend's family home went on fire one day." Warner replied. "His kid sister was still in the house and there was flames everywhere and we were all distraught, thinking this is it, she's gone. Then this fire fighter – came racing out of the house carrying her and he saved her life. He risked his life to save her and I thought wow, what an amazing thing to do. So I applied and the rest is history."

"Wow! What a great story!" Ziva sighed, gazing into Warner's eyes.

"Enough about me…how did you become an ass kicking federal agent?" Warner asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Oh, right." Ziva sighed. She chewed her lower lip and looked Warner in the eyes. This was the moment of truth, does she be honest and send him running to the hills like many men before him or does she lie, just like she did about her family history? "Well, I'm technically not a NCIS Special Agent…I'm a liaison…for Mossad."

"Oh, that's interesting." Warner replied. Ziva watched him, trying to gauge the honesty of his reaction. So far, he didn't seem freaked out. "How did you get involved in that?"

"Well I'm a Jew from Israel." Ziva answered. "It was kind of a family obligation." She was still waiting for him to make his excuses to leave.

"So, you're like an assassin?" Warner asked.

"Kind of." Ziva answered.

"Wow! That is so cool!" Warner exclaimed, full of excitement.

"Really? Because that's not the reaction I get from most guys." Ziva stated.

"Yeah well I'm not most guys." Warner replied. "I mean, yeah, you could snap me in half but really, what your job is…it helps people too, just like my job."

"I guess, I mean I never looked at it that way." Ziva agreed. Warner smiled and took her hand. His thumb grazed over it.

"I'm really glad you could be honest with me Ziva." Warner softly said, smiling. Ziva forced a smile, already regretting lying about her family.

"I'm really glad you didn't freak out." Ziva replied, smiling. Warner squeezed her hand and continued smiling, reassuring her.

* * *

_0100 hours…Tony's apartment_

Tony entered his apartment, tossing his keys on a nearby table as he closed the door. He then dropped his jacket on top of the table. He walked into his kitchen, passing his answering machine, which was flashing, indicating a new message. He pressed the button as he passed, to play the new message.

"Hey Tony, it's Kendra…the girl from the club." An extremely girly voice said. "I just wanted to call, in case you lost my number. I mean I thought we had a really fun night…" Tony cringed, remembering that night, when Ziva had turned up at his door. He leaned over and deleted the message. He then went to his fridge and poured himself a glass of milk.

It had been a long day. They had finally got another suspect, the Lieutenant Commander's wife, and she was now in custody, waiting to be interrogated by Gibbs in the morning.

Without thinking, Tony picked up his cell and dialled an all too familiar number. After about six rings, it went to the answer machine. "Hey, you've reached Ziva. I can't come to the phone right now so leave your message and I might phone you back."

"Hey Ziva." Tony muttered, running his free hand through his hair. "I guess you're still on your date. I'm just phoning to let you know we have a new suspect in custody so um…I'll see you tomorrow." He hung up and stared at his answering machine, beginning to debate whether or not he should have deleted Kendra's message.

* * *

Ziva and Warner walked towards Ziva's apartment in polite silence. "So this is where you live." Warner stated as they stopped outside the main door. Ziva nodded. "It is a nice area."

"I think so." Ziva agreed. There was silence. "So…"

"I'd really like to see you again." Warner suddenly stated, interrupting Ziva. Ziva smiled, relieved that he was making the first move. "And I'm hoping you feel the same."

"Yeah, I'd liked to see you again." Ziva agreed.

"So, um…coffee sometime?" Warner asked.

"Yeah…but not tonight." Ziva answered, aware that sometimes coffee was never just coffee. "I have an early start."

"Of course…I mean, I didn't expect…" Warner began, stuttering. Ziva giggled and placed her hand on his chest.

"I know." She simply stated. They were now staring into each other's eyes. There was silence. Slowly, Warner's fingers stoked Ziva's cheek before stopping under her chin, forcing her to tilt her head up.

"Goodnight Ziva David." He said in an almost whisper, before his lips crashed against Ziva's, in a soft, gentle, almost nervous manner. After a few seconds he pulled away, reluctantly leaving Ziva's wanting more but she quickly recovered.

"Goodnight Warner Smith." Ziva quietly replied, trying to suppress the smile desperately trying to spread across her lips. Warner smiled, forcing a charming glint in his eyes and walked away, occasionally glancing back.

Ziva entered her apartment building and finally let herself smile as she opened her apartment door. She dropped her keys, purse and jewellery on the nearby table, covering the flashing red light on her answering machine; before continuing to smile as she headed straight to the bedroom.

**To be continued… if you want!**

**Next chapter…Tony is convinced Warner is not interested in Ziva but is he?**

**Okay…I know this chapter was kinda slow but I'm trying to start establishing Ziva's relationship with Warner and spark some feelings out of Tony so please keep reading and reviewing. Thanks!**


	12. Coffee for Two?

**Hey guys! Thanks for the amazing feedback. I'm so glad most of you are giving Warner a chance. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please feel free to read and review. It's great motivation to write. Thanks!**

**Chapter 12 – Coffee for Two**

_The next day…0657 hours…the bullpen_

Tony was sitting at his desk. He was the only member of the team in the bullpen. He kept his eyes focused on the elevator, waiting for it to ping. As if by magic, it suddenly pinged. He quickly focused on his paperwork, trying to look busy.

"Good morning Tony." McGee's familiar voice said. Tony looked up.

"Hey McGeek." He answered, looking past McGee, searching for someone. "You on your own?"

"Um…yes." McGee replied, confused by the question as he took off his jacket. "Why? Are you waiting on someone?"

"No!" Tony answered, a little too quick. He eyed the elevator and felt a slight tug on his heart when Ziva was not there.

"Okay." McGee muttered as he sat behind his desk.

Just then, the elevator dinged again. Tony looked up, no longer trying to play it cool. He could hear Ziva and Agent Lee laughing before he could see them. They began to walk towards him, both carrying cups of coffee and laughing.

"What's so funny?" McGee asked

"Oh nothing Tim." Agent Lee replied, handing him a cup of coffee. "We were just talking." Agent Lee smiled at Ziva; Ziva returned the smile.

"Really? Because all that giggling and a stranger might actually think you're a girl." Tony observed, aiming it at Ziva. Ziva rolled her eyes and held out a cup of coffee.

"Would you like to drink your coffee or wear it?" Ziva asked.

"C'mon Ziva, I'm just teasing you." Tony replied, accepting the cup. "So, tell us…what was so funny?" Agent Lee and Ziva glanced at each other before Ziva turned her attention to Tony again.

"Just _girl_ talk." Ziva retorted, emphasising the 'girl'. Tony shook his head, realising he wouldn't get anything out of her while she was peeved at him. Suddenly, Tony's desk phone began to ring. He answered it.

"Of course. On your six boss." He quickly stated and then hung up. He could feel his team members' eyes on him. "Lee, McGee…the boss wants you to continue working on the phone records and bank statements. David…you and I have been requested down in interrogation." He then took off, before anyone could question him.

* * *

Ziva followed Tony, almost jogging to keep up with him. "Why are we needed in the interrogation room?" She asked. Tony spun around to face her. They stopped walking.

"I left you a message last night." Tony answered. "We have a suspect in custody. The Lieutenant Commander's wife. Wait? Did you not make it home last night?" He was now smiling smugly.

"Of course I did." Ziva quickly retorted. Tony's smile now became a little more genuine as a sense of relief washed over him.

"Aw, so the date didn't go too well." Tony said, faking empathy.

"What? It went fine!" Ziva exclaimed.

"So he stayed at yours?" Tony asked, desperately praying that the answer was 'no'.

"Tony, not all dates end with sex." Ziva hissed and began walking again. Now it was Tony's turn to follow her.

"Aw, poor Ziva." Tony said, in a soothing yet sarcastic tone of voice. "You got the brush off."

"I did not!" Ziva snapped, spinning around to face Tony. They stopped walking again.

"Oh so he tried it on but you wouldn't put out?" Tony asked.

"No…he didn't try it on, I think." Ziva replied. "Wait! Why am I telling you this? It's none of your business." She began to walk again.

"Ziva, I'm your partner…of course it's my business." Tony answered as he began to follow her. "Especially if you're gonna waste the whole day waiting for a phone call that is never going to come."

"It's only six hours since I last saw him Tony." Ziva stated. "We said we'd go for coffee…he'll phone."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." Tony responded before entering the surveillance bay. Ziva shook her head and followed him.

* * *

_5 hours later…_

Gibbs had gotten the Lieutenant Commander's wife to confess to his murder in less than an hour. She had found out that he was planning on divorcing her so she decided to kill him to get his pension and life insurance before he had a chance to make it official.

Now, the team were finishing up the paperwork for the case at their desks and desperately hoping a new case would begin soon. They all hated paper work days.

Ever so often, Ziva would glance at her cell phone, hoping to find a missed call or new voice mail message but there was never anything there.

* * *

Ziva sat in Abby's lab, watching Abby finalising the evidence gathered for the case they had just solved. She was sorting and filing the evidence to be put in the evidence locker until the court case.

"So, he still hasn't called?" Abby asked.

"Nope…maybe Tony was right…maybe he's just not interested." Ziva replied, her finger tracing Abby's workbench.

"No…Tony is wrong!" Abby reassured her. "I have a feeling about this Warner guy…I'm not saying he's the one but he's pretty damn close."

"If he's the 'one', then why hasn't he called me?" Ziva asked. "Argh! He's making me sound like such a girl!" She banged her head off the workbench.

"Yeah, I kinda feel like I'm in Sex in the City." Abby agreed. "Of course, I'm Samantha, you're Carrie and I guess Agent Lee is Miranda and Charlotte mixed together." Ziva looked up at Abby, confused by her ramblings. "Of course you haven't seen Sex in the City." She stopped what she was doing and sat down beside Ziva. "He hasn't called because he doesn't want to come across as desperate…it's only been like 13 hours."

"Really?" Ziva asked, sounding slightly hopeful.

"Yeah." Abby stated. "Just ignore Tony. He's still hurting over Jeanne and if he can't be happy and in love, then no one else can."

"I guess." Ziva muttered, slightly relieved that she could believe Abby's logic but also slightly hurt that Jeanne still had a hold over Tony's heart.

"Now, get back to work before Gibbs comes down here and Gibbs' slaps me for distracting you." Abby ordered, convinced that she had reassured her friend.

"I think it would be the other way about but thanks Abby." Ziva retorted, standing up. She began to walk out of the lab.

"Oh, and Ziva?" Abby began.

"Yes?" Ziva answered, turning to face her.

"Can you please stop acting like a girl and return to your normal crazy ninja chick?" Abby asked. "You're meant to be the rational one in this friendship…not me…and it's making my brain hurt." Ziva smiled.

"Of course Abby." She answered and headed upstairs again, leaving a smiling Abby behind.

* * *

_1700 hours…the end of the working day_

Ziva, Tony, McGee and Agent Lee were walking out of NCIS headquarters, towards the car park. McGee and Agent Lee were in front, talking amongst themselves. Ziva was walking alongside Tony, in silence.

She glanced at her cell phone, still showing no new messages; something that didn't go unnoticed by Tony. "The fire lieutenant still hasn't called then?" Tony observed.

"No." Ziva replied, slipping her cell phone back into her pocket.

"Well, his loss." Tony stated. Ziva glared at Tony, her eyes narrowing. "Seriously Ziva, someone like you doesn't deserve someone like Warner Smith."

"Tony, you don't even know him." Ziva hissed.

"No but I know his type." Tony replied. Ziva stopped walked and turned to face Tony, forcing him to stop. "He hit on you in a club and at a crime scene; he didn't phone you the morning after what you thought was a great date. He's a playboy Ziva."

"And you should know." Ziva snapped.

"Yeah." Tony muttered, knowing that Ziva was referring to his lifestyle and lack of commitment. There was silence. "C'mon Zee-vah, what do you say? Shall we hit the bar for a few drinks?"

"Thanks but no thanks." Ziva replied and began walking. She was now exiting the car park, planning on walking home as she had got a lift to work with Agent Lee this morning.

"Well let me drive you home at least?" Tony called after her but Ziva ignored him and kept walking.

* * *

After about 25 minutes, Ziva reached her home. She began searching her jacket pockets for her keys as she approached the building door. As she lifted her head up to open the door, she found a very familiar pair of big sparkling blue eyes watching her.

"Hey." The owner of the blue eyes said.

"Warner…hi." Ziva replied, coolly.

"I bet you think I'm like some stalker…waiting on your doorstep for you to come home." Warner said. Ziva didn't answered. "Truth is, I was walking home from work and my feet led me here."

"So your feet can find me but your fingers that dial your cell phone can't?" Ziva asked.

"Trust me…I've had to sit on my hands all day." Warner replied, shoving his hands in his jean pockets. "I wanted to call you as soon as I got home last night but I didn't want to come across as desperate. The last thing I want is to scare you off."

"But waiting for me outside my building won't scare me off?" Ziva asked.

"Well, by that stage I just stopped fighting the urge." Warner replied. "I don't care if I come across as desperate." There was silence. "Ziva, I really like you…a lot. The truth is I can't stop thinking about you."

"Okay." Ziva said, fighting the urge to smile.

"Ziva, I have to be honest with you." Warner began. "In the past, there have been a lot of women and I've never made it past the three month mark, in fact, most of them never made it past the first week. But you…you're the first woman that has made me want to change. I don't want all those women…I want you. I want to go to bed at night thinking of you and wake up in the morning thinking of you." He glanced at Ziva, trying to read her reaction but he couldn't. "And I'm sorry if I completely freaked you out." There was silence. "I guess I should go."

Warner began to walk away, down the steps. "Warner, wait!" Ziva said, outstretching her arm to catch his. He spun around to face her. Ziva stepped towards him, never breaking eye contact. She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close; a small smile now spreading on Warner's lips. "I really like you a lot too." She almost whispered, before crashing her lips against his in a hungry yet extremely passionate kiss that they both never wanted to end.

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next Chapter…Ziva decides to keep her new relationship a secret. **


	13. Ziva's Secret

_Hi guys! Sorry I haven't posted all week but work and life have been super crazy. I just want to say a BIG thank you for all the feedback and reviews I received recently. I really appreciate it. They're the only thing keeping me writing after a hard day. I hope you will enjoy the next chapter. _

**Chapter 13 – Ziva's Secret **

_Three weeks later…_

Ziva had continued seeing Warner 3 weeks after that night on the front steps leading to her apartment building. Everything was going great. They were really getting to know each other and enjoying spending time with each other. The nights they were both free from work they would go out to eat or dance, or just stay in and watch TV or movies. Every morning they would meet up for a jog and sometimes get coffee together. They had not spent the night together yet.

Ziva had decided that night, 3 weeks ago, on the steps of her apartment building, not to let her work colleagues know about her relationship; well, apart from Abby. It just seemed to make sense, especially if Tony was having difficulty accepting anyone could be happy in a relationship, because it didn't work with Jeanne.

So far, it was working perfectly. No one suspected a thing. She would still hang out with the team, when Warner was working the night shift and Abby was actually quite good at keeping her secret. She was just happy that Ziva was happy.

Ziva and Tony were also beginning to return to the way there were…before rule number 12 was broken. There was the occasional flirty banter between them when they were working, as well as a few snippy comments, just the way things used to be. Ever so often, they would share a drink together or they'd watch a movie together at Tony's place.

There was never any mention of Ziva's date with Warner. As far as Tony was concerned, he no longer existed…he hadn't called Ziva and was therefore, no longer on the scene.

Occasionally, Ziva would question Tony about the blonde in the nightclub and the few other women that constantly seemed to be phoning him. He'd laugh them off as a bit of fun, nothing more. Every time he did, Ziva would shake her head…it was typical Tony, not wanting to grow up, not wanting to commitment; but it still wouldn't stop the pang in her heart.

She was happy with Warner and she wanted Tony to be the same. She'd often ask herself why Tony kept going for the same type of women; the type that expected his playboy ways. Okay, the experience with Jeanne had hurt him but didn't he want more? Didn't he remember how being part of a couple made him feel? How it made him a better man?

Ziva just had to accept Tony was never going to change; which was why she was happy she finally found Warner. She no longer had to wait around for Tony to finally open his eyes and see what was right under his nose.

* * *

Ziva sat at her desk, finishing up her report to be sent to Mossad. She was wearing a white ¾ length sleeved smock top and jeans, with a brown belt. Her long dark hair was straight and tied into a neat ponytail. Her make up was extremely minimal.

Tony sat across from her in a dark blue suit with a white shirt and matching blue tie. Occasionally, he would glance over at her before returning to his work; something that didn't go unnoticed by Ziva.

After about the eighth glance, Ziva threw her pen down and stood up. "Okay Dinozzo, is there something you want to ask me?" She asked as she headed towards his desk.

"Huh? What?" Tony stuttered, as he looked up, embarrassed that he was caught.

"Well?" Ziva asked, her eyes locked on his, questioning him. She sat on the edge of his desk.

"I um…had a date tonight." Tony replied. "I bought these tickets to the Hitchcock movie marathon at the movie house on third. Anyway, she had to cancel so I thought maybe you could join me."

"So I'm your back down?" Ziva asked.

"Up…you're the back UP." Tony corrected. "I mean really, I'm doing you a favour. Hitchcock is a genius and I'm finally going to let you discover him."

"Thanks but I have plans." Ziva replied and slide off the desk, to head towards her own.

"Plans? With who?" Tony snapped, in surprise. Ziva silently cursed herself and quickly tried to think of an excuse.

"Careful Tony, you sound a little jealous." She teased, buying more time. She finally spun around to face him. "I have plans with Abby…she's dragging me to some heavy metal band."

"Well this is great…because I'm giving you an out." Tony retorted.

"Sorry I can't do that to Abby." Ziva replied. "I have my earplugs and everything. Maybe next time?"

"Sure." Tony replied, admitting defeat. "It's a date." He caught the look of surprise on Ziva's face. "I mean…" He was stuttering. "It's just a term." Ziva laughed, to ease the tension.

"I know Tony." She stated, although she was slightly uncomfortable. "I'm um, just going to fax my report to Mossad." She grabbed her file and headed towards the office supplies room, where the photocopier and fax machine were located.

"Okay." Tony muttered, watching her leave, silently cursing himself.

* * *

Ziva stood in front of Warner's apartment door, clutching a bag of Chinese food in one hand and a few DVDs in the other. She pressed the doorbell with the hand clutching the Chinese food.

The door quickly opened, revealing a slightly panicked Warner but Ziva did not notice. She quickly pressed her lips against his. "I got the Moo Sui Chicken…and some Hitchcock movies. Apparently he's a genius." She quickly stated, pushing past Warner.

Then, she suddenly found six different sets of eyes on her; belonging to Warner's work colleagues. She forced a smile. "Hey!" She finally said, holding up her hand for a static wave.

They all returned the wave, with some returning the "Hey" and another muttering "Wow! She actually is hot".

"I forgot that a few weeks ago I told the guys they could watch the big fight at my place." Warner whispered in her ear, taking the bags out of her hands at the same time. "I am so sorry."

"It's fine." Ziva replied, her smile now becoming genuine as she got over the initial shock. She turned her head to look Warner in the eyes. "I love boxing." She gave him a quick kiss before heading towards his work colleagues and immediately mixing in. Warner watched her, a huge smile fixed on his lips.

* * *

_2200 Hours…the bullpen_

Tony was still sitting at his desk, finishing up his paperwork. He had decided to give the movie marathon a miss; Hitchcock was no fun by yourself. He had given his tickets to Agent Lee. There was no one else in the building.

The sudden ding of the elevator caught his attention. He looked up to find Abby stepping out of the elevator, carrying a report for Gibbs. "Abby?" He asked as she walked towards Gibbs' desk.

"Hey Tony, what are you doing here?" Abby asked, placing the report on Gibbs' desk.

"More to the point…what are you doing here?" Tony asked.

"Duh! I'm leaving up my report for Gibbs." Abby answered, her eyes questioning Tony's stupidity.

"But shouldn't you be at some heavy metal concert with Ziva?" Tony asked.

"Oh!" Abby gasped, finally catching on that Ziva had obviously used her as a cover but forgot to tell her. "Well yeah. I had gotten behind on my reports so I had to stay and finish it. I'm going to head there now and meet up with her."

"Nice try Abs, you're a worse liar than McGee." Tony stated, standing up. He shut down his computer and headed towards the elevator. Abby watched him leave, silently cursing herself for being such a bad liar and Ziva for failing to inform her of her cover.

* * *

Ziva stood at the island in Warner's kitchen, munching on some tortilla chips and dips as he finished showing his guests for the night to the door. He finally entered the kitchen, throwing his hands in the air. "I am so sorry!" He exclaimed.

"It's okay." Ziva laughed, between munches. Warner stopped behind Ziva. He slipped his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I had fun. The guys seem great and that fight…I mean…what a fight!" Warner began to laugh. Ziva turned to face him, still wrapped in his arms. "What's so funny?"

"Oh nothing!" Warner sighed, bringing one hand up to stroke her cheek. "I'm just realising how right the guys are."

"What are the guys right about?" Ziva asked, a wry smile forming on her lips as she wrapped her arms around Warner's neck.

"Just that I have the most perfect girlfriend." Warner answered before trying to kiss Ziva but she pulled away.

"Girlfriend?" She asked, taken aback.

"Sorry, I freaked you out…I knew I said it too soon." Warner stuttered, embarrassed and apologetic all in one.

"No…it's just…" Ziva quickly began, trying to rectify the situation. "If I'm your girlfriend then that makes you my…" She watched Warner's pleading eyes. "…boyfriend." She smiled. It felt so good saying _that_ word.

"Yeah." Warner replied, now beginning to smile as relief washed over him when he saw her smile.

"Wow! You're my boyfriend…and I'm your girlfriend." She sighed, happily.

"Uh huh!" Warner muttered, his eyes on her lips as he slowly moved towards her mouth. His lips crashed against hers, hungrily at first before adjusting to a softer, more loving pace.

He wrapped his arms around her waist and scooped her up, onto the kitchen island. Ziva instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist, holding him close. Warner's fingers found the inch of bare skin between Ziva's jeans and top. His touch made Ziva shiver.

Slowly, his fingers gripped the edges of her top, before making one swift movement to peel the top off, revealing Ziva simple white satin and lace bra and forcing their lips to break contact momentarily.

Then, Warner's lips began a trail of kisses, down Ziva's cheek, neck, then shoulder; his fingers lifting her bra strap, forcing it to slide off her shoulder. He glanced up at Ziva he could see the hunger in her eyes as her breathing got deeper.

His lips returned to hers and with one swift movement, he scooped Ziva's off the kitchen island; their lips never breaking contact; Ziva's legs still tangled around his waist; and he carried her into the bedroom.

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next Chapter…Ziva's secret is out**

**Okay, I know this chapter could be so much better but I suck at writing the romantic and kissing scenes so I hope you could still enjoy it!**


	14. Is Out

**Hi guys! Thanks for all the reviews and feedback. I hope they continue because at the minute I'm kinda struggling to get this fic where I want to go so any support would be very much appreciated. Anyway...I hope you can enjoy!**

**Chapter 14…(…Is Out)**

_The next morning…0545 hours_

Ziva lay beside Warner, facing him, their bodies still tangled, only a white sheet saving their modesty. She was wide-awake, watching him sleep. A wry smile began to spread across his lips and then Ziva felt a pull towards him. Ziva giggled as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Thank God you're still here." He whispered. "I was worried last night was a dream."

"Nope, it wasn't." Ziva replied, her finger stroking his cheek. "We did however, miss our morning jog."

"I think we can be excused…after last night's workout." Warner replied with a wink.

"I dunno Warner…I'm a federal agent, I have to keep my fitness levels up." Ziva teased.

"Well you're definitely keeping something up." Warner teased back, lifting up the sheet to emphasis his statement.

"Warner!" Ziva giggled, embarrassed.

"Now…we'll definitely have to do something…we can't have your fitness levels slipping." Warner stated, climbing on top of Ziva.

"Warner!" She giggled as he began nibbling on her neck, before giving in as the white sheet covered them completely.

* * *

_A hour later…_

Tony and McGee were standing in a coffee shop. It was their turn to get the morning coffee. McGee was holding 3 cups while Tony had 2. He was pouring 3 packets of sweeteners into his cup. "So Ziva lied…what's the big deal?" McGee asked as he watched in awe as Tony continued to pour the sweetener. "She probably didn't want to watch the movie and didn't want to hurt your feelings."

"She didn't just lie…she lied to me!" Tony snapped. "You don't lie to your partner." He had now finished sweetening his coffee.

"You lied to all of us about Jeanne." McGee pointed out as they started to leave the coffee shop.

"That was different…I was undercover." Tony hissed as he pulled open the door to exit the shop.

"Maybe Ziva is on an undercover mission…maybe she's undercover for Mossad." McGee suggested as they began heading down the steps.

Tony stopped walking. McGee noticed this and followed his gaze. He found Ziva, at the bottom of the steps, leaning against the hand rail, her arms wrapped around Warner's neck, lovingly giggling and staring into his eyes. Then he watched her lips crash against Warner's in an extremely passionate yet loving kiss.

"Oh yeah, she's definitely under someone's covers!" Tony hissed, his eyes focused on Ziva, who continued to kiss Warner, wearing yesterday's clothes.

* * *

_0722 hours…the bullpen_

Tony sat at his desk, keeping his eyes glued to the elevator. Ziva had still not arrived at work. She was 22 minutes late. "Ziva not here yet?" Abby asked as she entered the bullpen. She had noticed Ziva's empty desk. Tony didn't even acknowledge Abby.

"She phoned and said she was held up in traffic." Agent Lee answered. "Gibbs already knows."

"Oh she was held up alright…and it wasn't by traffic!" Tony hissed, his eyes still focused on the elevator. Abby looked at McGee, searching for the answers.

"We saw Ziva…at the coffee shop…with Warner…sharing a moment." McGee whispered.

"Oh!" Abby mumbled.

"Wait? Why aren't you surprised?" McGee asked. Abby's eyes pleaded with him not to take it any further. "Oh." McGee sighed, realising the truth but it was too late, Tony had already figured it out.

"You knew?" He snapped, finally spinning around to face Abby.

"Maybe." Abby replied, fidgeting with nerves. Before he could ask any more questions the elevator dinged. He returned his focus to the elevator.

Ziva stepped off the elevator, wearing jeans and purple sweater. Her hair was braided. She had obviously gone home to change. "Good morning." She said brightly. "Sorry I'm late."

"We um…got you coffee at that place you like but it's cold now." McGee said, his eyes pleading with Ziva to pick up the vital clue that they had been at the same coffee place as her and Warner.

"Oh thanks but I don't need any coffee." She replied. She was in too good a mood to put her detective skills to use this early.

"I bet she doesn't!" Tony muttered before he finally looked up at her. "So Ziva how was the concert last night?"

"It was really good…not my cup of tea but Abby…" Ziva began but stopped when she noticed Abby incessantly shaking her head, trying to get her to stop. Tony's desk phone rang. He answered it, giving Ziva a few seconds breather. She turned to Abby, her eyes questioning her.

"He knows." Abby mouthed just as Tony slammed down his phone. Everyone turned their attention towards Tony who was standing up. He grabbed his badge and gun.

"Ziva, Gibbs wants us to drive to Norfolk." Tony stated. "They've apprehended a suspect who they think was stealing supplies. We have to bring him in." He began to walk towards the elevator.

"Okay." Ziva mumbled, not knowing what to do. She gathered up her things, taking a quick glance at her work colleagues. Abby looked apologetic, McGee looked as if he was scared for her while Agent Lee was just plain confused.

"Good luck!" Abby mouthed while Ziva smiled, trying to reassure her.

"Now Ziva!" Tony snapped, already at the elevator. Ziva ran to catch up with him.

* * *

Tony drove towards Norfolk, his fingertips tapping against the steering wheel as 'Fly Me To The Moon' played on the car CD player. They had been driving for at least 45 minutes and Tony was yet to utter one word to Ziva.

"Tony are you ever going to speak to me?" Ziva asked, the silent treatment finally getting to her. Tony didn't answer. "Tony?"

Tony began to sing along to the music, completely ignoring her.

"Tony?" She asked again. In return, his singing got louder. Ziva groaned and slid back into her seat, resting her head on the doorframe. It was going to be a long drive to Norfolk.

* * *

_7 hours later…_

Tony and Ziva had just returned from Norfolk. The suspect was now in the interrogation room, waiting for Gibbs. McGee and Lee were observing. Gibbs had excused Tony and Ziva early, because of the long drive. It had been a long quiet day for both of them.

They were both standing in the elevator. Suddenly, Ziva reached out her hand and pulled the 'emergency stop'. "Hey!" Tony grunted, trying to reach past her to start the elevator again but Ziva blocked him.

"No…we're not moving until you talk to me!" Ziva protested.

"Well then, you'll have a long wait." Tony hissed as he folded his arms and stared straight ahead.

"Ugh! You're such a child Dinozzo!" Ziva exclaimed with frustration.

"Me a child?" Tony snapped, turning his attention to Ziva. "I'm not the one lying to my partner about dating someone!"

"Oh really? So what was Jeanne?" Ziva retorted.

"An undercover mission!" Tony spat back.

"Yeah, keep believing that Tony!" She laughed.

"What is that meant to mean?" He barked. He stepped towards Ziva. He was filled with anger.

"Jeanne is the reason I couldn't tell you about Warner!" Ziva hissed.

"Excuse me?" Tony asked, confused.

"Ever since Jeanne…you hate anyone that attempts a normal relationship!" Ziva retorted.

"I do not!" Tony exclaimed.

"Please! You had me thinking Warner had no interest in me only a few hours after our first date!" Ziva spat.

"I was trying to protect you!" Tony argued.

"No you weren't." Ziva hissed. "You were being selfish!"

"What?" Tony spat.

"You couldn't have love with Jeanne so you don't want anyone else to be in love either!" Ziva answered. There was silence. Ziva watched Tony stumble back, as if she opened an old wound. Now she felt bad. "Tony…"

Tony looked at her, regaining his composure. He stepped towards her, blocking her into a corner. He rested his hands against each wall of the corner, at her eye level, making her feel trapped. "Are you in love with him Ziva?" He snapped.

Ziva was taken aback. Tony was staring into her eyes and she couldn't look away. She could see the hurt in his eyes, with a hint of anger. He moved a few steps closer. "Tony…" She began, her voice much softer, wishing she could take back what she had just said.

"Are you in love with him Ziva?" He asked again. This time his voice was much softer. He was millimetres away from her. She could feel his breath on her face.

Ziva searched his eyes, wondering how to respond to his question. His eyes were so sad, as if his heart was breaking all over again. She hadn't meant to reopen the wounds caused by Jeanne.

In reality, his eyes were so sad at the thought of losing something he never really had…Ziva. "Answer me Ziva…" He began, his eyes pleading with her. "Are you in love with him?"

"Don't ask the question if you can't handle the answer Tony." Ziva replied, not wanting to take responsibility for breaking Tony's heart all over again. She leaned over, momentarily pressing herself against Tony to release the 'emergency stop'.

Tony stepped back, out of her way. They rode the elevator in silence, not wanting to look at each other. As the elevator came to a stop, Tony stayed back, letting Ziva step out first. He watched her step out…and walk away from him.

**To be continued…if you want!**

**Next Chapter…Ziva decides it's time Warner met her family…the NCIS team. **


	15. Meet the Gibblets

**Chapter 15 – Meet the Gibblets**

_A week later…_

After the 'discussion' in the elevator, Ziva and Tony were both trying to move on and pretend it never happened. Ziva desperately tried to play down any talk of Warner with her colleagues, especially when Tony was around. Tony, meanwhile, was desperately trying not to talk about anything but work.

Now they were standing in the same elevator, with McGee and Lee, in polite silence. They were on their way back from Abby's lab. They had gone down there, searching for something to do, as they hadn't had a case in three days. Abby however, was also bored because no cases meant no evidence.

McGee and Lee both glanced at each other; they were not comfortable with the silence. They desperately missed Tony making sexual innuendos, which normally led to Ziva's threats to kill him with a paperclip.

The elevator door pinged, thankfully bringing the silence to an end. Both Lee and McGee sighed with relief as they followed both Tony and Ziva out of the elevator.

As they approached their desks, Lee was the first to notice the 12 white long stem roses on Ziva's desk, in a glass vase. "Wow Ziva, what did you do to get those?" She asked.

"Get what?" Ziva asked before rounding the corner to find the flowers. "Oh." She answered her own question.

"Is Warner in the dog house?" McGee asked.

"Why would Warner be in the dog house when he has a perfectly nice apartment?" Ziva asked, confused.

"It's a term." Lee quickly explained. "Normally said when your boyfriend does something really stupid that lands him in trouble and upsets you."

"Well why would be go to the dog house?" Ziva asked. "Surely the couch is punishment enough?"

"Forget about the dog house!" Tony muttered, sitting behind his desk.

"Yeah because obviously Warner has done nothing wrong when Ziva's worse punishment for him is a night on the couch." Lee stated, sitting down behind her desk.

"Well those flowers are from Warner, aren't they?" McGee asked, taking his seat.

"I guess." Ziva muttered, picking up the card. She read the card into herself. "There for our one month anniversary."

"Well they're gorgeous." Lee observed. Ziva nodded, still a little puzzled and shocked. "Aren't they Tony?" Lee asked. Ziva glanced over at Tony.

"Yeah…I guess if you like flowers." Tony answered. "I just never really had Ziva down as a 'flowers on a 1 month anniversary' kind of girl."

"I'm not." Ziva quickly retorted. She realised all her colleagues' eyes were on her, shocked by her automatic reaction. "I mean, I guess he thought he had to mark the occasion and they're beautiful…"

"They're just not you." Tony finished for her, their eyes locked in a gaze.

"Yeah." Ziva muttered, looking down at the card in her hand, breaking the eye lock.

"Well it was a nice gesture." Agent Lee replied. "After all, the one month mark is probably a big landmark for a guy like Warner."

"Please, you didn't even know Warner!" McGee stated, rolling his eyes.

"But I know his type…I've dated his type!" Lee quickly retorted.

"Michelle, you don't know the Warner I know." Ziva said, finally developing the urge to defend her boyfriend.

"Well maybe I should get the chance to get to know him." Michelle pointed out.

"Maybe we all should." McGee added.

"Excuse me?" Ziva asked.

"I think it's about time Warner met us." McGee stated.

"He could come to our team drinks on Friday?" Lee suggested.

"I…I…" Ziva began, panicking. She glanced at Tony, pleading for support.

"I think it's a great idea." Tony answered, smirking as Ziva glared at him.

"I'll invite him but he'll probably have to work." Ziva stated, admitting defeat as she slid into her chair.

"I'll let Abby know." McGee said as he picked up his phone.

"And I'll tell Ducky and Palmer." Lee said, also picked up her phone.

Tony just looked over at Ziva, continuing to smirk as Ziva focused on the card in her hands.

* * *

Ziva stood in her kitchen, chopping up some vegetables for tonight's dinner. Ever so often, she would glance at the white roses, sitting in a vase on her breakfast bar. Suddenly, the doorbell rang. She put down her knife and went to open the door.

She pulled open the door to reveal Warner. "Hey baby." He said, giving her a quick kiss.

"Hi." She replied with a smile as she returned his gesture with another quick kiss.

"Mmmmm…something smells good." Warner sighed as he passed Ziva and headed to the kitchen.

"I'm making a roast…leg of lamb." Ziva replied.

"Aw, my favourite home cooked dish." Warner sighed, giving her another quick kiss. "You spoil me."

"Consider it your anniversary present." Ziva replied, smiling.

"And I see you got mine." Warner stated, eyeing the flowers.

"Yes, they're beautiful." Ziva answered. "The girls at work were extremely jealous."

"Well I really wanted to give you this." Warner replied, pulling a rectangle box out of the inside pocket of his jacket. "But getting it delivered to a federal building might have posed a problem."

Ziva looked puzzled as she took the box of him. It looked like a jewellery box. Then, when she lifted the lid, she finally understood. It was a brand new knife; the blade catching her eyes, making them sparkle. "Oh my…" Ziva sighed, her eyes filling with tears.

"I thought this was more you than the flowers but I wanted you to have something at work too." Warner began. "Do you like it?"

"Yes." Ziva replied, giving him a quick kiss before taking the knife out of the box to admire it. She loved the feel of it. She looked up at Warner, who was watching her, like a parent watches a child on Christmas morning. "Now my anniversary present seems lame."

"I think you are underestimating how much I love roast lamb." Warner replied with a smile, as he wrapped his arms around her. She looked him in the eye.

"What are you doing on Friday night?" She asked as she slipped her arms around his neck.

"I'm hopefully spending it with you." He replied, gently kissing the tip of her nose.

"Well, how about spending it with me…and my team mates at NCIS?" She asked; any anxiety she felt about them meeting, now completely melted.

Warner smiled. He knew Ziva's work colleagues were like her family. In a way, she was inviting him to meet the parents. "I'd love too." He answered, before crashing his lips against hers, for a short, but extremely sensual kiss.

* * *

_Friday night…the pub_

Tony sat in a booth, his fingers continuously stroking his beer glass. He was wearing one of the many suits he owns. Lee and Palmer sat opposite him, engrossed in their own private conversation. Gibbs and Ducky were at the bar; Tony could tell Ducky was telling another long-winded story and Gibbs was slowly losing the patience to listen.

McGee and Abby were walking towards the booth, carrying their drinks. Abby was practically jumping with excitement. "Oh! Isn't this great?" She exclaimed, hopping from foot to foot.

"Do you need the bathroom?" Tony asked.

"Maybe." She replied seriously. "But I don't want to go in case I miss Ziva." Tony looked at McGee who slid into the booth beside him.

"She wants to be the first to officially meet Warner." McGee explained. Tony rolled his eyes.

"I just want to meet him before Gibbs scares him." Abby tried to explain. "He'll hardly open up to me if Gibbs has done the 'Hurt her and I'll kill you' talk. Although, Warner seems so perfect I'm sure Gibbs won't have to have that talk."

"He's not perfect." Tony quickly retorted, causing both McGee and Abby to look at him questionably. "I mean, nobody is perfect."

"Ziva seems to think he is." Abby responded. Before Tony could reply, the bar door swung open, taking everyone's attention.

Before them stood Ziva, wearing jeans and a simple white cami, her hair hanging down and slightly curled. Beside her stood Warner, also wearing jeans and a simple blue T-shirt.

Tony took them from the feet up, stopping at their hands, noting their perfectly entwined fingers. Then he continued before stopping at Ziva's face, noting the big, happy smile on her lips as she slightly leaned against Warner's big strong shoulders.

He couldn't take his eyes of her lips as he watched her speak, uttering words he never knew could hurt so much. "Guys…this is Warner…my boyfriend." She said, before beginning to individually introduce him to her team mates. But Tony had stopped listening; he was too preoccupied, trying to stop the stabbing pain in his heart.

* * *

_About a hour later…_

Ziva stood at the bar, her hand still in Warner's as they listened to one of Ducky's famous stories. Abby, McGee and Gibbs were also there. The night was going extremely well. So far, Warner had impressed McGee by revealing he sometimes plays Elf Lord games; impressed Abby with his knowledge of obscure heavy metal bands and Gibbs by revealing how he once spent his summer sailing as a crewmember on a boat. Now he was being the perfect gentleman, listening to every detail of Ducky's story.

Ziva glanced over at the booth. Both Palmer and Lee had disappeared. Tony was now sitting by himself, nursing a third beer. He wasn't himself tonight. Even when she had introduced Warner, he seemed to be in another world. Ziva slipped her hand out of Warner's and headed towards Tony.

"Are you not joining us?" She asked. "Ducky is telling the story about the time he rescued Gibbs."

"I've heard it…at least three hundred times." Tony answered, still staring at his beer.

"I'm sorry Tony." Ziva began as she slipped into the booth opposite him. "I know you and Jeanne never got to do the whole 'meet the team' thing."

"This is nothing to do with Jeanne." Tony stated, finally looking Ziva in the eye.

"Isn't it?" Ziva asked.

"Ziva, I'm over Jeanne…I've moved on." Tony simply answered, before taking a gulp of his beer.

"So why do you go home with a different girl every night?" Ziva asked.

"Because I'm Tony Dinozzo, it's what I do." Tony replied, beginning to stroke his glass again.

"No it's not." Ziva retorted. "Tony I saw who you were with Jeanne…you can be that person again."

"What is this? You're in love so suddenly I have to be as well?" Tony hissed, glaring into Ziva's eyes.

"I didn't say I was in love." Ziva stated.

"You didn't deny it either." Tony retorted. Ziva looked away. "And you're still not denying it."

"Tony, please come and join us?" Ziva requested, still refusing to look him in the eye.

"Why should I?" Tony asked.

"Because you're my partner." Ziva answered, finally looking him in the eye again. "And of all the people here, you're the one person I want to like my boyfriend. And I really want him to like you too." Tony looked down at his drink. "You have so much in common Tony…he even quotes James Bond. You'd really like him if you gave him a chance."

Tony finally looked up at Ziva. Her eyes were pleading with him. "Okay…but only because it's you Zee-vah." He stated, his heart skipped a beat as he watched her eyes light up as she smiled.

"You're gonna love him Tony." Ziva sighed happily, as they began to slide out of the booth.

"Almost as much as you love him?" Tony asked as Ziva took his hand. Ziva rolled her eyes and led him towards the group, ignoring his last comment. Tony smiled to himself, beginning to think he hadn't lost Ziva yet.

**To be continued…**

**Next chapter…Warner begins to question Tony and Ziva's past**

**Okay…I know this chapter was pretty lame but this was kind of a transition chapter to get the story moving forward so please stick with it. **

**I also want to apologise...I don't know the name of the game that led to McGee being called an Elf Lord so I refer to the game as 'Elf Lord'. I kinda of want to use the game as a link between Warner and McGee that helps them form a bond. If anyone knows the name of the game, please let me know. Thanks!**

**And as always, reviews and feedback are more than welcome!**


	16. Ziva's Dimple

**Hi guys! Thanks for all the great reviews and feedback. I really appreciate them. I know Warner is coming across a little _too_ perfect and I'm desperately trying to create some sort of flaw to try and correct it. I hope you can enjoy this chapter. Feel free to read and review!**

**Chapter 16 – Ziva's dimple**

_A month later…_

After that night in the pub, Tony had decided to make an effort with Warner, which of course led him to spending more time with Ziva outside of work. Okay, Warner was there most of the time too but at least he could still get drinks with Ziva and watch the occasional movie.

And okay, Ziva was right; he and Warner did have a lot in common. They seemed to like the same type of humour, the same types of films and they spent a lot of time quoting Sean Connery, which of course was driving Ziva insane.

However, it didn't mean Tony considered Warner a friend. To Tony, Warner was still someone to be weary of; after all, he had Ziva's heart in his hands and he could still hurt her.

Now, it was Friday night and they were in some random nightclub, along with Abby and McGee. They had gone there straight after work so Tony and McGee felt slightly out of place in their suits. Ziva and Warner were dressed quite casual…both in jeans and a top, blending in to the crowd while Abby was just well…Abby.

'When I Grow Up' by the Pussycat Dolls was playing. Abby and Ziva were already on the dance floor, with Warner sandwiched between them. They were all giggling; able to let their hair down without any alcohol.

For Tony and McGee however, it was different, as they both found their place at the bar and ordered drinks. "So Timmy, tell the truth…what do you think of this Warner guy?" Tony asked as he turned his attention to the trio on the dance floor. He took a gulp of his drink.

"Well…he's pretty great on Elf Lord…last Wednesday he actually beat me, not something I want to admit but…" McGee began to answer, also looking at the trio. Tony rolled his eyes.

"I meant, do you think he's good enough for Ziva?" He snapped.

"Well yeah…I mean, she seems happy." McGee replied. "And he's making a real effort to get to know us. I mean, he got Abby tickets to that obscure band she wanted to see and did you know, last weekend he was at Gibbs helping him with his latest boat."

Tony's head snapped around to look McGee in the eye, in disbelief about what he heard. "Gibbs let him help with the boat?" He asked, feeling a pang of jealousy.

"He didn't just let him help…Gibbs invited him over." McGee answered, not picking up on Tony's disbelief or jealousy. "So he must be good enough for Ziva because Gibbs trusts him."

"I guess." Tony muttered, focusing back on the trio dancing.

"He's a good guy Tony…and you obviously think so too or you wouldn't be watching the Sean Connery 'James Bond' movies with him." McGee rambled on.

But Tony wasn't listening; he was too busy scoffing at McGee's last statement. Had he never heard of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer? "Poor naïve Probie…you have a lot to learn." Tony thought, continuing to keep his eyes on the trio, Ziva in particular.

* * *

'Hips Don't Lie' by Shakira echoed around the nightclub. They had been in the nightclub for just over an hour. McGee had joined the others dancing but Tony was still standing at the bar, still not feeling comfortable enough to go out to the dance floor.

Warner slipped away from the dancing crowd and headed towards Tony at the bar. "Hey, can I have a water please?" He requested from the bartender before turning around to watch the dance floor.

"Getting a little hot out there for the fire fighter?" Tony joked.

"You'd be a little hot under the collar if you were sandwiched between Abby and Ziva." Warner replied, keeping his eyes on Ziva.

"Yep, they're definitely two great girls." Tony agreed.

"Better than great…exceptional, especially Zee." Warner answered.

"Wow! You really are smitten." Tony observed.

"Is this when you ask you what my intentions are?" Warner asked, finally looking at Tony. "Because if it is, it took you long enough. Gibbs asked me within two hours of meeting me, Abby asked within three hours and McGee asked me two weeks ago."

A wry smile formed on Tony's lips. "Maybe I know Ziva can handle herself. I mean, we put our lives in each other's hands every day." He replied. "But since you brought it up, what are your intentions?" Warner laughed before answering.

"Honestly, I only ever made it this far once or twice before." Warner replied. "And that was probably in high school. I mean, you know Tony…guys like us, normally at two months, we're desperately thinking about how to get ourselves out of it, without causing too much pain."

"Yeah I do." Tony muttered in agreement.

"But with Ziva…it's different." Warner said, looking back at Ziva on the dance floor. "I'm desperately thinking about how I can keep her with me because I can't bear to think of the day that I won't talk to her, see her, touch her…I need all of her; even that dimple on her left bum cheek."

A smile formed on Tony's lips as he remembered finding that dimple on her bum cheek; the night rule number 12 was broken; and how she got so embarrassed. "Yeah, you gotta love that dimple." He sighed, totally oblivious to Warner spinning around to face him.

"You know about her dimple?" Warner asked.

"What?" Tony asked, finally realising what he subconsciously let out.

"How did you see my girlfriend's ass?" Warner asked, becoming angry, obviously starting to wonder if Tony and Ziva were more than just partners.

"Relax Warner, it's not what you think." Tony stated, trying to delay time to think of an excuse.

"So what is it Tony?" Warner hissed.

"About three years ago, when Ziva first joined NCIS we went under cover as married assassins and we had to play the role." Tony replied.

"So you did sleep with her?" Warner asked.

"No we faked it." Tony answered, desperately trying to calm the situation down. "I just saw her ass when the sheet slipped."

"So you never actually…?" Warner asked, his voice trailing off as he calmed down.

"No." Tony lied.

"Sorry man…I didn't mean to get all jealous." Warner replied, a smile of relief forming on his lips. "It's just, every day…she brings your name up at least ten times in conversation and I sometimes feel like I'm living in your shadow."

"Yeah, well she doesn't stop talking about you at work either." Tony retorted.

"Really?" Warner asked.

"Really." Tony answered.

* * *

_At the end of the night…_

Warner's car pulled up outside Ziva's apartment building. Ziva automatically unclipped her seatbelt. She spun around to face Warner when she noticed he hadn't followed suit. "Aren't you coming in?" She asked, confused.

"Not tonight." Warner replied. "I have to start my shift in a few hours and I need to get some sleep."

"Well you can get some sleep upstairs." Ziva retorted. "We don't have to…"

"I know but I also know I won't be able to help myself if I'm lying in the same bed as you…you're just too irresistible." Warner stated.

"Okay, as much as I love hearing you find me irresistible, I know you're stalling." Ziva said. "There have been plenty of nights were we have just slept in the same bed. So what's wrong? You haven't been yourself since Tony talked to you. Did he say something?"

"I dunno Ziva…is there something he could say?" Warner asked.

Flashes of the night they were reassigned ran through her mind; Tony's lips on hers; his lips trailing down her shoulder to her breasts as he peeled off her clothes; waking up in his arms. "I don't know what you're talking about." She replied coolly.

"Really? Because sometimes I feel like I'm a prop in the Tony/Ziva soap opera." Warner answered.

"Warner now you're being crazy!" Ziva exclaimed.

"Am I Ziva? Because he's always looking at you…and you're always talking about him." Warner answered.

"Of course I'm going to talk about him…he's my partner…I spend at least ten hours a day with him." Ziva retorted. "And as for him looking at me…I've never noticed it but if he is, it's because he's protective. At work, we put our lives in each other's hands and sometimes that instinct is hard to switch off."

"And he knows about the dimple on your bum cheek because…?" Warner asked.

The question caught Ziva off guard. She stuttered. "What? How…?" She began.

"Just answer it Ziva." Warner stated.

"A long time ago we were under cover, as married assassins and we had to act out our role but a lot of it was faked." Ziva replied. She saw the relief in his eyes. "So I guess my story matches Tony?"

"I had to ask Ziva." Warner replied. "I mean I trust you but Tony…"

"Is my partner, that's all." Ziva finished.

"I'm sorry Ziva." Warner apologized, feeling like an idiot.

"It's okay." She replied, her own guilt seeping in about not being honest. She leaned over and gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "Stay safe at work." She stepped out of the car.

"You too." He muttered in reply before she closed the door and headed towards her building.

* * *

_The next day..._

Tony entered the bullpen, wearing jeans and a white button down shirt, to find McGee and Lee already at their desk. "I hate being at work on a Saturday!" He muttered as he sat at his desk.

"We know Tony." McGee replied, used to his ranting every Saturday they had to work.

"It's only one weekend out of every four weeks." Lee stated, trying to stay positive.

"Yeah, wait until you've been here a while and the novelty will soon wear off." Tony retorted. He glanced at Ziva's desk. "Ziva not here yet?"

"Give her a chance Tony." McGee replied. "It's only 0659."

As if right on cue, the elevator dinged and out stepped Ziva. She was wearing jeans, a white cami with a soft pink shrug sweater. Her dark hair was slightly curled and hanging down. "Good morning." She said as she placed her belongings on her desk.

"Good morning Zee-vah." Tony replied, preparing himself to make some sort of sarcastic comment.

"Tony, can I have a word?" She asked, catching him off guard, nodding towards the elevator.

"Okay." He replied, a little weary as he followed her. Lee and McGee looked at each other, puzzled.

Ziva stepped into the elevator first, followed by Tony. The doors began to close behind them. "So Zee-vah…are you trying to get some time alone with me because if you want me all you have to do is ask?" Tony joked asked as Ziva pulled the emergency stop.

"Tony, what the hell were you thinking?" Ziva spat, spinning around to face him.

"What?" Tony asked, confused.

"Talking to my boyfriend about the dimple on my ass?" Ziva hissed. "Didn't you think that would raise some sort of suspicion?"

"I didn't mean for it to come out the way it did…" Tony began.

"The point is it shouldn't have come out at all!" Ziva exclaimed. "Tony…that night, it doesn't exist anymore…it never happened."

"But it did happen." Tony retorted. "And maybe we shouldn't ignore it. Maybe we should accept it and move on." Ziva laughed.

"Do you not understand what would happen if Warner or Gibbs ever found out that we slept together?" Ziva snapped.

"I know but…" Tony began.

"There are no buts Tony." Ziva interrupted. "We managed to cover it this time…thankfully my story matched yours but we might not be that lucky next time."

"If I was Warner I would want to know." Tony stated.

"And if you were Warner would you want your girlfriend spending hours on end with a guy she slept with? Putting her life in his hands on a daily basis?" Ziva asked.

"Of course not." Tony scoffed.

"So what makes you think Warner would be any different?" Ziva stated. "He wouldn't like me working with you…never mind hanging around you outside of work."

"Are you trying to tell me that if Warner asked you to choose between us, you'd pick him?" Tony asked.

"I'm trying to tell you not to put me in the position where I have to choose." Ziva answered. Tony shook his head and laughed.

"I never had you down as one of those girls who drops her friends for a guy." Tony hissed.

"Warner isn't some guy Tony." Ziva replied coolly. There was silence. "A while back you asked me a question in this very elevator and I didn't answer it but if you were to ask me again…"

"Are you in love with him?" Tony interrupted, becoming extremely serious, his eyes locked on Ziva.

"Yeah, I think I am." Ziva replied, staring at the elevator floor and fidgeting with her fingers.

"Right." Tony muttered, hanging his head. After only 20 seconds of silence, although it seemed like hours, Tony lifted his head and looked Ziva in the eye. "Congratulations Ziva." He stated, even though inside his heart was breaking and released the emergency stop. "And don't worry, our secret is safe."

He forced a smile, which Ziva returned, relieved. The elevator dinged and the doors opened. Tony stepped out first, his head high, masking his true feelings.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter…Ziva prepares to meet Warner's parents **


	17. Meet the Smiths Part 1

**Hey guys! Thanks for the great reviews and feedback. This chapter is a bit of a filler chapter, although I do think there are some nice Tiva moments because there might not be any in the next chapter so enjoy! **

**Chapter 17 – Meet the Smiths Pt 1**

_2 days before Thanksgiving…the bullpen…_

A few weeks had past after Ziva had revealed to Tony that she had fallen in love with Warner. Their working relationship had returned to normal, with little or no signs of tension; after all, a few sarky comments were always expected between Dinozzo and David.

And Tony had saw Ziva about three times outside of work. He had watched a baseball game with her and Warner, as well as a movie and she had also cooked for him one night when Warner was working the night shift; well she had cooked for the whole team but Tony was invited.

Now, Tony, Ziva, McGee, Lee, Gibbs and Abby were in the bullpen at their desks; well, Abby was sitting on Tony's desk. "So Tony, please tell me you're cooking the turkey?" Abby asked.

"Of course Abs, with my secret recipe stuffing." Tony replied, with a smile on his lips.

"Yes!" Abby cried and punched the air.

"Hey, my turkey wasn't _that_ bad last year." McGee muttered.

"Tim, it was so dry no amount of gravy was going to save it." Abby retorted. "But it was a good effort."

"I liked it." Gibbs stated.

"Thanks boss." McGee replied.

"Well that's hardly surprising when you compare it to your own cooking." Abby muttered before turning her attention to Ziva. "And Ziva, you'll be bringing your yummy pumpkin pie?"

Ziva looked around the bullpen; all her teammates were looking down at their computer screens or keyboards, apart from Abby, who was watching Ziva intently. They had obviously not broken the news to Abby yet. She didn't blame them; she had been avoiding telling Abby herself that she wouldn't make the annual Thanksgiving dinner at Gibbs' house.

"Actually Abby, I can't make dinner this year." She answered in a low whisper.

"What?" Abby exclaimed.

"She um said she wouldn't be attending Thanksgiving dinner this year." McGee repeated.

"I heard it the first time Tim, I just can't believe you're bailing on us!" Abby squealed. "It's not just an American tradition, it's our tradition. Every year we all make a dish, bring it to Gibbs' house, play some football and stuff our faces. How is Tony's team gonna defeat Gibbs' team if you're not there?"

"I'll be here." Agent Lee pointed out.

"Exactly, we're screwed!" Abby hissed, glaring at Ziva, with her hands on her hips.

"I'm sorry Abs." Ziva muttered, feeling extremely guilty. "But I can still make the pumpkin pie for you. I just won't be there to eat it."

"What is so important that you can't make dinner?" Abby asked.

"I'm going to Chicago instead." Ziva replied.

"What in Chicago could be more important than us?" Abby snapped. "Huh, Ziva?"

"Meeting Warner's family." Ziva replied, in a low whisper.

"Huh!" Abby muttered, her tone and expression softening. "Well I guess that is important and under normal circumstances I'd be very happy for you."

"I know Abs." Ziva replied.

"But I'm still annoyed with you so I want clotted cream along with the pumpkin pie. Okay?" Abby ordered.

"Okay." Ziva replied as Abby marched past her to head back to her lab.

"Well that went well." Tony joked as Ziva hung her head again. "Price you pay for love, huh?"

Ziva raised her head and glared at Tony. "I'm not enjoying this Tony!" She hissed before getting up and storming off into the bathroom.

Tony chewed his lower lip to stop the wry smile from forming on his lips. He could feel Gibbs glaring at him. He looked over at him. "Yes boss?" He asked, waiting for the backlash.

"If you can't say anything nice, say nothing Dinozzo." Gibbs replied.

"Okay boss." Tony muttered and returned to his work.

* * *

_Later that night…_

Ziva stood in her sitting room, a half packed suitcase sitting on her couch. She was dressed in black sweats and a red cami, her long dark hair tied back in a rough ponytail. She stared at the suitcase, while lifting a glass of wine off the coffee table behind her to take a sip of the drink.

"This shouldn't be so hard." She muttered to herself, becoming increasingly frustrated that she didn't know what to pack.

The ding of her doorbell interrupted her thoughts. She headed towards her door, happy to have the interruption. She peered through her peek hole, to reveal Tony, standing with a pizza box. She sighed and opened the door.

"Peace offering with a piece." Tony joked, holding out the box. Ziva smiled and stepped back, letting Tony in.

"Ah, you're packing for your trip." Tony observed, eyeing the suitcase.

"I'm trying to…I just don't know what to take." Ziva replied, taking the pizza box off Tony and heading into the kitchen. "None of my clothes seem suitable for meeting Warner's parents. From what I've heard they're quite conservative, yet perfect. I mean, everything about them seems so normal…especially compared to my family life."

"Zee, they won't care about what you're wearing." Tony said, following Ziva. "All parents really care about is their child's happiness and they'll see how happy you're making Warner as soon as they see you together."

Ziva smiled and stopped at the breakfast bar. She put the pizza down. "You know, I didn't think I'd be talking to you about this." Ziva said, glancing up at Tony as she pulled off a slice of pizza. "I was thinking I'd need to phone Abby…or maybe McGee saying Warner and his family seem quite similar."

"Yeah, I know I haven't been the best partner lately." Tony muttered, avoiding Ziva's gaze as he pulled off a slice of pizza.

"Tony…" Ziva started, preparing to make excuses for Tony.

"Zee, I know I haven't so don't try to excuse me." He interrupted. He finally looked her in the eye. "But that is going to change." He paused. "It's just you falling in love…" He broke the gaze, looking down at the breakfast bar "…it had me worried. As your partner Ziva, I'm meant to have your back but I can't protect you from the hurt you've opened yourself up to."

"I know…and I don't expect you to." Ziva sighed, stroking Tony's free hand that was resting on the breakfast bar. "Especially after Jeanne." Tony looked her in the eye again.

"Jeanne was self inflicted." Tony answered seriously, his eyes still on Ziva. "I knew it would never end well."

"But it never stopped you falling." Ziva said, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "The heart wants what it wants huh?"

A wry smile spread across Tony's lips, remembering the argument he once shared with Ziva in the men's bathroom. "I guess."

"Tony, I'm not heading into this with my eyes closed." Ziva stated. "I'm keeping my eyes wide open."

"No they're not." Tony retorted, stifling his laughter. "You've let your guard down, you've let him in."

"Of course I had to…I love him…but he'll never have me 100 percent." Ziva argued back, her eyes burning into Tony.

"You say that now but when you're marrying him…when you're popping out his babies…he'll have you…all of you…and he'll be the luckiest guy alive." Tony stated, glaring back at Ziva.

There was silence. Ziva broke the gaze, the intensity of it getting too much for her. "Don't worry about what to pack Ziva." Tony finally said, throwing his slice of pizza back in the box. He slid his hand out from under Ziva's. "His parents will love you…just don't tell them about your Mossad connection yet…especially if they're conservative. Being a federal agent will be a big enough occupation for them to accept."

"Okay." Ziva muttered, looking at the breakfast bar. Tony placed one finger under Ziva's chin and titled her face up to look him the eye.

"They will love you." Tony repeated again. He smiled. "I mean, who couldn't?" He removed his finger and backed away. "Happy Thanksgiving Zee." He headed towards the door and left her apartment.

Ziva watched him go, his last question echoing in her mind as the word "you" popped into her head. She groaned in frustration, turned her attention towards the pizza box, lifted the box and dumped it in the bin.

* * *

_The next day…_

Ziva stood in the elevator, with Warner beside her, heading towards the bullpen. She held a pie and a tub of cream in her hands, while Warner held a football. She was wearing a black pencil skirt, that came to just below her knees, black 3 inch heeled pumps and a purple long sleeved buttoned down blouse with a frilly bib, the top two buttons opened, exposing her Star of David chain. Her long dark hair was straightened and hanging down, with the front few strands were pinned back. Warner was wearing brown trousers, a cream roll neck sweater and a tan suede jacket.

The elevator dinged, signalling they had reached the bullpen. They both stepped out of the elevator, with Ziva taking the lead. The first face they met was Abby. "Ziva!" Abby yelped as she raced towards them.

Ziva braced herself for impact but it didn't come; instead, Abby whipped the pie and cream out of her hands. "Ziva's pie, ummm…Warner, you don't know what your missing." Abby said, her eyes never breaking contact with the pie.

"I already tasted one this morning." Warner replied, squeezing Ziva's arm. "It was delicious." Ziva smiled in return but her eyes were looking around the bullpen, to find Tony was returning from the photocopier.

"Hey Zee-vah, Warner." He said casually, as he slipped into his desk. "All packed?" His eyes were on Ziva.

"Yep, the bags are in the trunk." Warner replied before Ziva got a chance to answer so she just nodded. Tony smiled, reassuringly at Ziva as he could tell she was nervous.

"Where are Gibbs, McGee and Ducky?" Ziva asked. "I wanted to wish them a Happy Thanksgiving before we have to leave."

"Gibbs and McGee are in MTAC…or they were." Tony stated as his eyes located them now walking down the steps. Warner headed towards them as Ziva sat on the edge of Tony's desk.

"Hey Jethro! Timmy!" Warner called as he approached them, preparing for a man hug.

Tony watched the interaction through gritted teeth, not believing what he was seeing. Warner was offering man hugs to both Gibbs and McGee, which they were returning. Even worse, they were laughing and calling each other by their first name. He then watched as Warner handed Gibbs the football. Ziva was also watching the exchange.

"You know, sometimes I wonder whether Warner is dating me or them." She stated, forcing a smile out of Tony. "Last Sunday, he blew me off to help Gibbs with his boat and some nights, he doesn't even come to bed because he's playing that stupid game with McGee."

"Well just so you know, I'd pick you over McGee and his Elf Lord any time." Tony replied, a charming grin plastered on his lips. Ziva looked at Tony and smiled.

"Of course you would." She stated, still smiling.

"But if it was a Bogart film then…" Tony joked.

"Hey!" Ziva laughed, whacking Tony on the arm.

"Only joking…I'd pick you every time." Tony replied, his tone serious, his eyes locked on Ziva's. Ziva began to blush and broke the gaze, focusing on the hem of her skirt. "So you finally got packed." Tony stated, noting that Ziva was uncomfortable.

"Yeah, I phoned Agent Lee in the end." Ziva replied, still not looking up.

"Well I'm sure everything will go fine." Tony added reassuringly, just as Warner approached them again.

"C'mon Zee, we need to head." He said, taking her hand to help her off her desk. "Happy Thanksgiving guys!"

"Yeah you too." They all replied.

"Have a nice dinner." Ziva added, blowing a kiss before leaving.

Tony watched them leave, his eyes paying particular attention to the way Ziva's fingers entwined Warner's, and how her head rested perfectly against his shoulder as they waited for the elevator. They were the perfect fit…too perfect for Tony.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter…Ziva finally meets Warner's parents.**


	18. Meet the Smiths Part 2

**Hi! Thanks to everyone who has been reading and reviewing my fic! I really appreciate it! I hope you enjoy this chapter and please feel free to review, good or bad!**

**Chapter 18 – Meet the Smiths Pt 2**

_1 days before Thanksgiving…_

_2100 hours…Chicago_

A yellow cab pulled up outside a large Victorian styled, red-bricked house. It looked like the perfect family home, right down to the porch swing. Ziva's jaw dropped when she saw it. "So Zee, welcome to where I grew up!" Warner exclaimed, squeezing her hand before stepping out of the cab to take their bags from the cab driver.

Ziva slowly followed suit, worried that her legs would collapse from under her as her nerves resurfaced. On the outside, it really did seem like Warner had the perfect childhood…the perfect family…a million miles away from her own experiences.

"Warner! Dude!" She heard someone shout. Her eyes drifted towards the opened front door of the house to find a younger version of Warner, right down to the blonde hair and big blue eyes, running towards them. She watched the young man embrace Warner before turning his attention to her. "Wow! Your photos really don't do you justice." He said, before offering his hand. "I'm Chase, Warner's better looking, more talented younger brother."

"Hi." Ziva nervously replied.

"Man, she's a hottie!" Chase stated to his brother, as if Ziva didn't even exist. Warner laughed in return, before inducing a headlock.

"Get the bags, pipsqueak!" He ordered, attempting to show who was the real man of the family. Chase groaned but followed the order as Warner took Ziva's hand and led her towards the house, with Chase following with the bags.

Before they even reached the front porch another sibling greeted them. She was about 5 ft 9, slim yet curvy, with perfect skin and bone structure, big brown eyes and long red hair that naturally sat in loose bouncy curls. If Ziva didn't know any better, she was sure the girl could be a model.

"Warner!" The girl exclaimed, hugging her brother. "Thank God you're here. Mum has been driving me insane." She turned her attention to Ziva. "You must be Ziva…the kick ass federal agent whose brave enough to take on my big brother. I'm Madison."

"Oh hello." Ziva replied, taken aback as Madison embraced her in a hug.

"Warner!" Madison exclaimed, slapping him on the arm. "Don't be leaving Chase to carry your bags. He has a game on Friday. I'll take care of Ziva."

Warner muttered something under his breath and reluctantly released Ziva. He dropped back to help Chase as Madison slipped her arm through Ziva's. A wry smile spread across Ziva's face as she watched Warner being put in his place by his kid sister, showing who was the real boss between the siblings.

"Honestly Ziva, he can be a real jerk sometimes but his good points definitely outweigh the bad." Madison said, heading towards the house. "You know, you really are too pretty."

"Um thanks." Ziva replied, not sure if it was a compliment.

"Sophie is going to hate you." Madison stated openly. "This is going to be so much fun!" Ziva laughed nervously.

* * *

_An hour later…_

Ziva was sitting in an armchair, a cup of tea on her lap, with Warner beside her, sitting on the arm of the chair. Directly opposite her were Harrison and Eleanor Smith, Warner's parents, and Madison and Chase. All four were sat on the couch, watching her.

"This is worse than torture." Ziva silently thought as Warner rubbed her back reassuringly. She had faced an hour of questioning about her family, her job, her life in Washington and her relationship with Warner…and she still had to meet Warner's big sister Sophie who wouldn't be arriving until tomorrow.

"So Ziva, I still don't understand how a girl like you ends up working for NCIS." Eleanor stated. "I mean, you're not in the navy."

"I was assigned there…by request from the Director of NCIS." Ziva replied. "She worked with me on a few international operatives and was impressed."

"Why were you working international operatives?" Eleanor asked.

"Mum, we're quite tired…" Warner began but Ziva placed her hand on his knee, telling him it was okay.

"I was working international operatives because I'm a Mossad agent…I now work with NCIS as a liaison." Ziva answered openly.

"Cool!" Chase exclaimed.

"What is this Mossad?" Eleanor asked, confused. "It sounds like a cult."

"It's not a cult mum!" Madison laughed.

"It means Ziva is an assassin!" Chase exclaimed excitedly.

"No she's not…mum, she's not an assassin." Warner tried to reassure his mother before glaring at his kid brother.

"It's like the Israeli CIA, right Ziva?" Harrison Smith asked, trying to clear up any misunderstanding.

"Yes…in a way." Ziva replied. "Mossad is the government intelligence agency in Israel."

"Oh." Eleanor sighed, before her eyes caught sight of the Silver Star of David around Ziva's neck. "And um, are you Jewish Ziva?"

"Um yeah." Ziva replied, her fingers automatically tracing the star around her neck. Both Madison and Chase stifled their laughter.

"Huh Warner, I see there is a lot you didn't tell us about Ziva." Eleanor stated, glaring at her son.

"I told you everything that I thought was important mum." Warner replied, squeezing Ziva's shoulder for reassurance. Ziva looked up at him. He looked down at her, their eyes meeting. "And the most important thing is that I love her." He smiled. Ziva returned the smile, fighting the urge to grab him and kiss him; because although she had felt it for weeks, she didn't dare say until he said it…and he just did.

* * *

Ziva stood in front of the mirror in the ensuite bathroom, brushing her hair. She was wearing grey sweat pants and an old NCIS t-shirt. Warner was in the bedroom, removing the million and one cushions and teddies off his sister Madison's bed. He and Ziva would be using her room for the duration of the visit as his parents had let Chase change Warner's old room into a gym. Madison would be sharing with Sophie.

"Zee, I'm so sorry about my mum." Warner stated. "She is very…well, she hasn't exactly moved into the 21st Century. I mean…when Sophie became a doctor she couldn't even be proud…she just kept saying she should be a nurse and marry a doctor."

"Warner, it's fine." Ziva replied as she stepped out of the bathroom and leaned against the doorframe. "Although, I really do think me being Jewish bothers her more than my Mossad connection."

"Well she'll get over it." Warner said as he began to walk towards Ziva. "My mother isn't a big believer in mixed marriages." He wrapped one arm around Ziva's waist while the other gently grazed the Star of David around Ziva's neck. "So I guess I'll have to convert."

Ziva smiled and chewed her lower lip. She looked Warner in the eye. "Did you mean what you said before?" She asked.

"What? About converting?" Warner asked. "Well I will if I need to but unlike my mother I do believe in mixed marriages." He was joking, with a big smile plastered on his face.

"No." Ziva softly laughed, shaking her head. "About the most important thing being that you love me. Did you mean it?"

"Oh!" Warner sighed, glancing at the floor before he looked Ziva in the eye again. "I didn't expect it to come out that way."

"I get it." Ziva stated, looking away, into the bathroom. She began to remove herself from his hold.

"No you don't." Warner said, pulling her back. He wrapped one arm around her waist while his free hand gently stroked her cheek. "What I mean is, I meant to tell you before I told my parents. You see, I've felt it for a few weeks now but I couldn't think of a way to tell you. I wanted it to be really romantic, like some garden, lit by candlelight, while a violinist plays some romantic classical music."

"Well, it's not some candlelit garden with a violinist but it could still be romantic." Ziva replied, looking Warner in the eye.

Warner smiled, his hand grazing her cheek before his fingers traced her lips. "Ziva David, I love you." He said, staring into her eyes.

Ziva smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you too Warner Smith." She gently pressed her lips against his for soft yet lingering kiss. As they parted, Warner began to laugh. "What's so funny? Is my breath bad because I just brushed my teeth?"

"No, you're minty fresh." He replied. "I just, I never thought that the first time I would tell a girl I love her, I'd be standing in my kid sister's bedroom."

"I'm your first?" Ziva asked.

"You're the first time I've meant it." He replied, stroking her hair. Ziva sighed happily and pressed her lips against his, for another soft yet loving kiss.

* * *

_The next morning…Thanksgiving_

Ziva and Warner walked down the stairs towards the dining room. Warner had his arms wrapped around waist from behind as he held her, whispering in her ear, kissing her neck as they walked. Ziva giggled happily and playfully tried to push him away.

They entered the dining room to find all the Smiths, including Sophie already there. Sophie was about 5 ft 6, with an extremely curvy yet healthy body. She had big blue eyes, short blonde hair and a button nose. She was still an attractive pretty girl but not to the standard of her little sister.

"Sophie, you finally made it." Warner stated, noting the glass of Bucks Fizz in her hand. "And you're already on the hard stuff at…" He glanced at his watch. "0854."

"Warner, it's a holiday…I should be allowed to celebrate." Sophie replied before gulping down her glass of champagne and orange juice. "I'm Sophie by the way." She offered her hand to Ziva. "Warner's big sis."

"Hello." Ziva replied, shaking her hand before she took her seat beside Warner.

"So you're the poor girl who thinks she can tame my brother." Sophie said. "I'll give you props…you made it to meeting the folks and that hasn't happened since oh I don't know…11th grade Warner?"

"Sophie, did you forget your anti-bitch pill today?" Warner hissed.

"Warner, ignore her." Madison said, helping herself to bacon. "She just found out Steven, her med school sweetheart just proposed to his girlfriend, a nurse."

"I need another drink." Sophie snapped and headed towards the kitchen, with Eleanor quickly following, begging her daughter not to spoil Thanksgiving.

"It's quite tragic really." Madison told Ziva. "She hasn't been able to keep a guy for longer than 6 weeks since they broke up. He's the one that got away."

"Maddie darling, your sister is hurting." Harrison said, trying to restore order.

"Well it's her own fault for dumping him." Madison said. "But no…Sophie thought she could do better…more fool her. Steven was way better looking than her."

"Madison!" Harrison finally barked, silencing his daughter.

"Yo mum, bring in more bacon!" Chase called into the kitchen.

"I am so sorry." Warner whispered to Ziva, squeezing her hand. Ziva forced a smile, silently wondering why she ever envied Warner's perfect family.

* * *

_Later that day…_

Ziva had just finished her Thanksgiving dinner. It was quite uneventful, compared to this morning. Sophie was now in the corner, sleeping off her drunken state; Warner, his father and little brother were camped out in front of the TV, watching the football; and Eleanor and Madison were now cleaning up. Ziva had offered to help but Eleanor refused, insisting Ziva was a guest and should not lift a finger.

She stepped out onto the front porch, gently closing the door behind her. She opened her cell phone and pressed 'Speed dial'. After a few rings the phone call was answered.

"Hey Crazy Ninja Chick!" Tony's familiar voice echoed through the phone. Ziva smiled as she walked towards the porch swing. Tony was standing in Gibbs' living room, a phone in one hand and a 'Twister' spin dial in the other. Behind him were Abby, McGee, Lee and Palmer, all contorted into unnatural shapes as they played Twister. Ducky and Gibbs were on the sidelines watching.

"Shalom Tony." She softly said. She could hear laughter in the background. "Are you still having dinner? Am I interrupting something?"

"No, dinner finished about an hour ago…the pie went extremely well, although I didn't even get a slice." Tony replied. "Greedy Abby had three slices."

"I heard that!" Ziva heard Abby call. She laughed.

"Well I have a spare pie in my fridge that you're more than welcome to." Ziva replied as she sat on the porch swing. "You know where I keep my spare key."

"Thanks Zee…this is why I love you." Tony stated, before realising what he said. "As my partner of course."

"Freudian slip Anthony?" Ducky muttered, giving Tony a knowing glance, which Tony ignored.

"Of course Tony." Ziva laughed. "So what are you doing?"

"Playing Twister." Tony replied.

"Tony, next move please!" McGee begged, beginning to lose his position. If he were to collapse now, he would land face down on Palmer's crotch; something that he wanted to avoid.

"Right hand blue." Tony retorted before tossing the dial to Gibbs to continue. He began to walk towards the kitchen. "Sorry Zee-vah, I'm back with you now."

"It sounds like you're all having fun." Ziva said. "How did the pre-dinner football game go?"

"Team Dinozzo got slaughtered…and that was with a 10 point head start because Gibbs took pity on me for having Lee on my team." Tony replied, leaning against the kitchen counter. "So tell Warner's family, no matter what, you're staying in Washington next Thanksgiving 'cause I need my star player."

Ziva smiled. "I think that can be arranged." She replied.

"Why? Are things not going well?" Tony asked.

"Define well?" Ziva retorted.

"Ziva…" Tony began, trying to find comforting words but Ziva interrupted him.

"It's my own fault…I dropped the Mossad bomb on them and his mother didn't know I was Jewish, which apparently is a problem for her." Ziva stated.

"Ziva, are they being horrible to you?" Tony asked. "Because if so, Gibbs and I can hop on a plane and kick some ass." Ziva laughed.

"Thanks for the offer but I'm fine." Ziva answered. "They're all being nice in their quirky ways. Sophie, his older sister is an alcohol commitment phobic…"

"Sounds perfect." Tony joked.

"Yeah for you." Ziva teased. "Madison knows everyone's business; Chase is well, a teenage boy; Mrs Smith has decided I'm not good enough for her son and Mr Smith reminds me of Mr Bennett from Pride and Prejudice."

"Sounds like a great sitcom." Tony observed.

"It probably does seem like it belongs on one of your films." Ziva agreed. "I just…I dunno Tony. I'm sitting on a porch swing in an amazing Victorian home and I guess I expected the interior to match the exterior if you get what I'm saying?"

"Yeah, you expected his family to be perfect, especially compared to yours or even mine." Tony stated. "But Ziva, sometimes, things look better on paper than they do in reality and this is one of those cases. Because despite of everything in your family…I think you turned out pretty perfect, without the two parents, porch swing and Victorian home."

"And I guess you turned out relatively normal too." Ziva replied, teasing.

"Relatively?" Tony questioned.

"Tony!" Ziva laughed.

"Fine I'll give you that." Tony retorted. There was silence. "So I guess I'll see you on Monday, partner?"

"Yeah." Ziva replied. "Happy Thanksgiving."

"You too." Tony replied and hung up.

Ziva smiled as she closed over her cell phone. She got up off the porch swing and headed towards the door, only to find Warner, standing waiting. "Hey…I didn't see you there." She stated with a smile.

"I noticed through the window you were making a phone call so I thought I check up on you, in case you were a little homesick." Warner replied, nodding towards the sitting room window that was beside the porch swing. "Did you phone Abby?"

"Yeah, I wanted to wish the gang a Happy Thanksgiving." Ziva replied, lying.

"I hope you wished them a Happy Thanksgiving for me too." Warner said.

"Of course." Ziva replied.

"I really appreciate you being here for the holidays." Warner said, looking Ziva in the eye. "I know my family are a little kooky…and I know you're missing Gibbs, Abby, McGee, Tony…" He trailed off.

"I wouldn't be anywhere else but here." Ziva replied, standing on her tiptoes to press her lips gently against his for a brief kiss. "Now, can we get inside? It's freezing out here."

"Sure." Warner replied, a smile fixed on his lips. Ziva headed into the house first, followed by Warner, whose eyes were fixed on the cell phone in Ziva's hands.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter…Warner questions Ziva's partnership with Tony again**


	19. He's Your No1

**Chapter 19 – He's Your No.1**

_A few days later…_

Ziva was driving her red Mini Cooper, with Warner by her side. Ziva was wearing a denim miniskirt and a simple black cami. Her long dark hair was hanging down, in natural curls. Warner was wearing jeans and a logo 'T-shirt'.

"Ziva!" Warner exclaimed, holding on to the dashboard. "That was a red light…meaning stop!"

"Warner, we're late…Abby will be waiting." Ziva replied, changing lanes; missing the neighbouring car by a few inches.

"And whose fault is that?" Warner stated, cringing as Ziva narrowly avoided another car. In the few months he had been dating Ziva, he had still not gotten used to her driving style. "I wasn't the one who changed my outfit 4 times."

"Well I didn't know what a person should wear to a rock concert on a Monday night." Ziva answered. She braked hard, obeying a 'Stop' sign. "Abby is going to be so pissed at us for being late."

"She'll be fine." Warner said. "Cooper will be there."

"I still don't like the idea of you setting my best friend up with one of your fire fighter friends." Ziva stated, moving off again.

"Why not? Cooper is a great guy." Warner retorted.

"And Abby is a very special person." Ziva answered back. "She's unique…and has required tastes."

"And Cooper will be perfect for her." Warner reassured. "He loves all the bands she likes…in fact, he's the guy I got those tickets off the time she really wanted to see that band but couldn't get any tickets."

"Ugh!" Ziva groaned as she was forced to stop at another red light. "We'll have to phone her." She tossed Warner her cell phone. "I think she's number 5 on speed dial."

Warner flipped open the cell phone and selected Ziva's speed dial list, wanting to double check Abby's number. He smiled as his eyes saw that Abby was indeed number 5 but the smile slowly faded as his eyes travelled further up the list. At number 4 was McGee, 3 was reserved for Gibbs and at number 2, he expected to find Dinozzo, only to find himself at number 2 and Tony at number 1.

"Did you get her?" Ziva asked, snapping Warner out of his shocked daze.

"What? No…I'll get her now." Warner replied, his eyes still fixed on the number '1' with the name Tony beside it. He reluctantly pressed 5, to get in contact with Abby; his brain still not wanting to believe his girlfriend put her partner, rather than the man she loved at number one.

* * *

_The next day…_

Ziva stepped into Abby's lab; a Caf Pow in one hand and six black roses in the other. Abby looked up at her, her eyes questioning Ziva. "A peace offering and apology for last night's lame set up." Ziva stated, handing the gifts over.

"Awww, thanks Ziva." Abby replied, putting the gifts down to hug her friend. "But you didn't have to."

"Abby, Warner set you up with a total dud." Ziva replied, as she came out of the embrace. "I had to do something to make up for last night because it was awful."

"Granted, our double date could have been better." Abby agreed. "But don't take it out on Warner. On paper, Cooper and I would be the perfect match but if the chemistry isn't there then…"

"I know." Ziva muttered, sitting down on a stool.

"Plus, the night wasn't all bad…we got to hear a great band." Abby stated.

"Yep, they were amazing." Ziva lied. There was silence.

"So um…is everything still going okay for you and Warner?" Abby asked.

"Yeah of course." Ziva replied, shocked by the question. "Why wouldn't it be?"

"Oh nothing. Its just…Warner didn't seem himself; he was so quiet…he looked like he was in another world." Abby answered.

"He probably was…thinking of Elf Lord." Ziva answered. "He has McGee coming over to do something to his computer tonight to improve the graphics."

"Oh, okay." Abby said, looking unconvinced.

"Abs, really…everything is fine." Ziva stated, trying to reassure her friend.

"Good." Abby said, smiling. "Because you deserve some happiness Ziva and I think Warner is just the guy to supply it."

"I couldn't agree more." Ziva replied, forcing a smile; although a seed of doubt was now in her mind. Was her relationship with Warner really okay?

* * *

_Later that night…Warner's apartment_

McGee and Warner were sitting in Warner's sitting room on the couch, with Warner's laptop on the coffee table in front of them. McGee was obviously trying to change or install something. "When I'm finished, your graphics should be HD standard." McGee said, obviously excited about what he was doing.

"Thanks man, I don't have a clue when it comes to the technical stuff." Warner replied. He stood up. "I'm going to get a beer. Do you want anything?"

"A beer would be good." McGee replied, not looking up from the screen.

Warner walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. He pulled out two beers and began to open them. "So did you hear I set Abby up on a date last night?" He asked, beginning to walk back into the sitting room.

"Yeah, so I heard." McGee muttered, obviously annoyed.

"Sorry man, I forgot." Warner said as he handed McGee a beer. "Ziva told me you once dated Abby. If it makes you feel any better, the date was disaster."

"Actually, it does." McGee stated, before taking a swig of the beer.

"So you and Abs, huh?" Warner pressed. "How did that happen? 'Cause don't take this the wrong way but you don't seem like a obvious couple."

"Yeah, Tony couldn't believe it either." McGee said. "But Abby, she goes for what's in the box, not the packaging, if you get what I mean? Although, I did get a tattoo first, thinking that's what it took to impress her…Tony's idea of course."

"Of course." Warner laughed. "So what happened?"

"Well, when I first started seeing Abby I wasn't working for Gibbs, I was stationed at Norfolk." McGee began to explain, while staying focused on the computer in front of him. "But then I got reassigned to Gibbs team, which meant we'd be working together and there was Gibbs' rule number 12…"

"Rule number 12?" Warner asked.

"Yeah…never date a co-worker." McGee answered. "Anyway, to cut a long story short, we thought it was best if we parted and stayed friends rather than me transferring again."

"And all because of Gibbs' rules?" Warner asked, shocked that simple rule could not be broken.

"You don't break Gibbs' rules if you want to be on his team." McGee replied, matter of factly.

"So Tony and Ziva never broke rule number 12 then?" Warner asked.

"What? Tony and Ziva?" McGee laughed. "Warner they may flirt but I like to think Ziva is smart enough not to fall for one of Tony's lines. Anyway, they have Gibbs' rules too. Plus, Ziva has you…why would she want Tony?"

"You're right…I just thought I'd check." Warner said, feeling slightly reassured. "Just don't tell Ziva I even asked."

"Sure, no problem." McGee replied, focusing back on the computer.

* * *

_The next day…_

Ziva and Tony were at the coffee shop getting the morning coffee for the rest of the team. They were waiting for their order. "So you're telling me you did nothing last night?" Tony asked in disbelief.

"Well, no…I went for a jog, had a shower and then I read a good book." Ziva replied.

"Ziva, that is doing nothing!" Tony laughed. "Where was Warner? Please don't tell me he is developing the 3 month itch?"

"Of course not!" Ziva retorted, a little too quickly. Abby's comments from the day before were clearly on her mind. "We don't have to spend every night together. He was with McGee, doing something to his computer."

"Ouch!" Tony gasped. "Getting overlooked by your boyfriend for McGeek, that has to hurt."

"Actually, I liked having a quiet night in." Ziva replied, faying confidence as she accepted their order from the girl behind the counter. She carried the tray of 5 coffees over to side to allow Tony to get his sweeteners.

"Well if I'd have known you were alone, I would have invited you over to watch a movie." Tony said, beginning to sweeten his coffee. "I was in a High Society mood but I don't like watching it by myself."

"Well, Warner is on night shift tomorrow so I'm free then if you're still in the mood." Ziva replied. "I'll even cook."

Tony chewed his lower lip, stopping a wry smile from forming. He knew Ziva particularly enjoyed the Grace Kelly and Bing Crosby movie. "Sorry, I can't tomorrow." Tony replied. "I have a date."

"A date?" Ziva retorted, taken aback. "With who?"

"Um…someone called Phoebe…Warner set it up." Tony replied, looking over at Ziva to judge her reaction. So far, she was playing it cool but he could see some slight annoyance forming. "He seems to think we'd be perfect together."

"I bet." Ziva muttered, knowing the particular girl Warner had chosen for Tony. She was very good looking, bubbly and well, for lack of a better word…easy.

"So do you know her?" Tony asked. "Is she perfect for me?"

"Only if you want sex on a first date." Ziva replied, a hint of bitterness in her tone.

"Huh, she _is_ perfect!" Tony sighed. Ziva rolled her eyes, thinking 'typical Tony' and headed out of the coffee shop, leaving Tony to follow with the tray of coffees.

* * *

_Later that night…_

Ziva stood in the kitchen of her apartment, kneading dough. She had discovered a long time ago that making bread was great release for her frustrations. She was dressed in jeans and a simple black t-shirt; that was splashed with flour. Her dark hair was pinned up very roughly.

The ding of her doorbell interrupted her kneading motion. She sighed, grabbed a cloth to clean her hands and headed towards the door. She looked through her peephole, revealing Warner, carrying a Chinese takeaway and a few DVDs. She reluctantly pulled open the door.

"Hey baby!" Warner cheerfully exclaimed. Ziva did not reply, instead, she headed straight back to the kitchen. Warner followed. He saw she was making bread and he sighed as she returned to kneading the dough.

He put down the takeaway and DVDs. He stood behind her and wrapped his arms around her. He leaned his chin on her shoulder. "Did somebody have a bad day at work?" He asked, hoping to snap Ziva out of her headspace. She ignored him. "C'mon, Zee…what's wrong? You're scaring me."

Ziva stopped kneading the bread and turned around to face him. "Why did you set Tony up with Phoebe?" She finally asked.

"Oh, he told you, did he?" Warner stated, stepping back. He pulled himself up onto a kitchen counter to sit.

"He mentioned it in passing." Ziva replied, confused by his response.

"So I got Tony a date…what's the big deal?" Warner asked.

"The big deal is I asked you not to set any more of my friends up after what happened with Abby." Ziva answered.

"C'mon Ziva…Phoebe will be good for Tony." Warner retorted. "She's a fun girl!" Ziva scoffed. "And it'll get him out of our hair…no more third wheel hanging around."

"I don't mind Tony hanging out with us." Ziva replied.

"Of course you don't!" Warner exclaimed, throwing his hands up in frustration.

"What is that meant to mean?" Ziva asked, crossing her arms.

"Let's be honest here Ziva." Warner began. "You're not upset that I set a friend up on a date…you're upset I set _Tony_ up on a date!"

"What!" Ziva gasped.

"C'mon Zee, I've been trying to ignore it since I met him but I know there is something more that friendship going on with you and Tony!" Warner spat. "I know you have feelings for him."

"Oh don't be so silly!" Ziva hissed. "Of course I have feelings for Tony…I care about him as a friend…he's my partner, just like McGee and Gibbs."

"So if Tony is the same as Gibbs and McGee, why are they third and fourth on your speed dial respectively but Tony is number one…ahead of the man you supposedly love?" Warner snapped.

"You went through my phone?" Ziva asked, her voice softening, disgusted by the invasion of privacy.

"No, I looked up your speed dial to phone Abby but I couldn't help but notice your placing." Warner retorted.

"So what if Tony is number one?" Ziva asked.

"You really don't get how this makes me feel, do you?" Warner observed, shaking his head. "Zee…you're my number one…and I thought I was yours."

"You are." Ziva answered.

"Not according to your phone." Warner retorted.

"It's just a speed dial list." Ziva replied. "I can change it if you want."

"I shouldn't have even had to ask Ziva!" Warner sighed. "You were changed to my number one within two weeks of dating."

"Well I'm sorry." Ziva muttered.

"Yeah well I don't think that'll cut it anymore." Warner softly stated as he slid off the counter.

"What?" Ziva asked, confused.

"Zee, I don't want to play second best anymore." Warner stated. "This whole thing between me, you and Tony…it's draining me. I don't know if I can keep fighting for you…ignoring the looks…the lies."

"What lies?" Ziva asked, panic building within her.

"At Thanksgiving…when you told me you were on the phone to Abby…I could hear you talking to him Ziva…about my family." Warner replied. "I gave you an opportunity to be honest and you couldn't be…so how can I believe you when you say nothing is going on?"

"Because I'm telling you the truth." Ziva simply replied. "Tony is my partner…that's all."

"You don't know how much I wish I could believe you." Warner softly stated. He began to walk towards the door.

"Warner, where are you going?" Ziva asked, shocked and panicked.

"Anywhere but here." Warner answered, looking back briefly before walking out of the apartment, closing the door behind him.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter…Tony goes on his date & are Warner and Ziva over?**


	20. Case of the Ex

****

Hey guys! Thanks for all the great reviews and feedback. I really appreciate it, especially as I had a really tough week. I'm not really happy with my writing for this chapter but I don't think I can improve it either as I've seemed to have reached a mental block. I hope you can enjoy it anyway and please feel free to review it. And as for Ziva and Warner being over well...most of you need to prepare for being disappointed. ;)

Chapter 20 – The Case of the Ex

_The next evening... _

Ziva stepped outside her apartment. She was wearing black sweat pants and a red hooded sweater. Her hair was tied back in a tight ponytail. She began stretching her legs, preparing to jog.

She had already gone jogging earlier this morning but she felt the need to go again. It was the only time she had found herself not thinking about Warner.

She had spent the whole day at work, waiting for his phone call; blocking out Tony's incessant chatter about his upcoming date, but the call never came. A visit to Abby's lab couldn't shift her thoughts of Warner either.

When Ziva had told Abby about what happened the night before, Abby had quickly defended Warner, telling Ziva he had a right to be annoyed. He should be her number 1. Of course, Abby was also annoyed that she was only number 5 on her speed dial.

Now Ziva was jogging along her usual route, hoping to stop thinking about him, just like she had this morning; but she couldn't; every person she seemed to pass seemed to be in a couple; loved up. They weren't there at 0530 but at 2100 hours, it was different.

She began to jog up a hill, towards a park bench, were she usually stopped to stretch. As she reached the bench, her eyes found a very familiar build of a man, already stretching at the bench. "Warner…" She said, breathlessly; fearing her eyes were playing games with her.

"Ziva!" Warner exclaimed, spinning around to face her. He was surprised to find her there. "I guess you had the same idea as me."

"I thought…shouldn't you be on night shift?" She asked, still shocked.

"I couldn't face work today." He simply replied.

"I thought you would have called me today." Ziva said. "I was waiting by my phone."

"Yeah well I thought we could be doing with some space." Warner replied.

"So what was last night?" Ziva asked. "Are we breaking up because I just changed you to number 1 on my speed dial?"

Warner fought the wry smile, determined to spread across his lips. "I think last night was our first fight." He replied. "So you changed your speed dial huh?"

"Yeah." Ziva replied. "I talked to Abby and she made me understand why you were so upset."

"Good old Abs, huh?" Warner muttered, sitting down on the bench.

"Warner…all this relationship stuff…it's new to me." Ziva replied.

"And it isn't new to me?" Warner retorted.

"Warner, you weren't brought up under Mossad." Ziva replied. "I was brought up to guard my feelings…and if possible, not develop any at all but you totally broke down my guard and it's scaring me."

"Yeah well how I feel about you is scaring me too." Warner responded. "After our fight last night…I would normally use it as a reason to give up…to walk away but I can't walk away from you, even though my head is telling me that I should."

"Why do you want to walk away?" Ziva asked, sitting down beside him.

"Because I can't shake these feelings that you and Tony have this history that you're not telling me about." Warner replied, looking Ziva in the eye.

Ziva glanced at her feet briefly before taking Warner's hand and looking him in the eye. "You're right, Tony and I do have a past." Ziva softly said. "I didn't want to tell you because I thought if you knew, you wouldn't be happy with me working with him."

"Too right!" Warner snapped, removing his hand from Ziva's and standing up. "Of course I don't want my girlfriend working with her ex."

"Tony was never a ex." Ziva retorted, her eyes pleading with Warner. She reached out to take his hand again but he ignored her attempts. "It was a one time thing when we were both vulnerable. It was the night we learnt we were being reassigned…I was going back to Israel…I thought I'd never see him again."

"So you slept with him." Warner finished for her. His arms were crossed as he stared down at her.

"Yeah." Ziva muttered. "I'm not proud of it…and I know I should have told you sooner but I didn't think it was important because to Tony and I, that night no longer exists."

"And you don't feel anything for him?" Warner asked.

"Nothing that a partner shouldn't feel." Ziva carefully answered. "Warner, I'm with you…I love you."

Warner pulled her up into his arms. He gently stroked her cheek. "And you are really just good friends?"

"Why would I want a beef patty when I have steak at home?" Ziva retorted. A wry smiled formed on Warner's lips as he kissed the top of Ziva's head before Ziva buried her head in his strong chest.

"It's hamburger, not beef patty but thank you for telling me Ziva." He stated, holding her, stroking her back.

"I just want us to be together." Ziva stated.

"I know, me too." Warner sighed as he continued to hold her.

* * *

Tony entered a piano bar, his eyes searching for the girl with a yellow rose in her hand. He quickly found her in a corner booth. He exhaled; a wry smile forming on her lips. She was definitely extremely pretty; as Warner had promised.

The girl in question was about 5ft 4, with long blonde hair, big brown eyes and curves in all the right places. She was only about 24 or 25 years old. She was wearing a bright pink jacquard cut dress that came to just above her knee and matching stiletto pumps.

Tony headed towards her. "Phoebe?" He asked. The girl smiled and nodded. "Tony Dinozzo." She offered her hand and Tony charmingly kissed it.

"Wow!" She replied. "Warner promised me an Italian Stallion and it looks like he might have just delivered."

"Well I aim to please." Tony replied, a smile fixed on his lips as he slid into the booth.

* * *

_A few hours later…_

"Wow!" Tony sighed, his body sticky with sweat as he rolled off Phoebe; a simple red silk sheet the only thing covering their modesty. Phoebe giggled in return as she moved over to place her head on his shoulder. Tony splayed arm made no attempt to embrace her as he stared at the ceiling.

"Yep!" She giggled. "You're definitely an Italian Stallion." Her fingers played with a few of the many hairs on his chest. She looked up at him. "Hairy butt and all." She lifted her head to look him in the eye. "You know, you should really shave or wax it."

A wry smile spread across his lips as he remembered Ziva rating his bum. She only gave him a 2 but if he shaved, she would give him 5 out of 5. The smile slowly faded as he thought of her rating Warner's bum. "It's not the first time I've been told that." He muttered.

"You know, I have to give Warner his props." Phoebe stated as she cuddled into Tony. "At first I thought it was weird that my ex was trying to set me up with his new girlfriend's partner but…"

"Wait? You and Warner used to date?" Tony asked, jumping up on the bed slightly.

"Only for like 3 weeks." Phoebe replied. "I didn't really think it would be an issue…I mean, it would be hard not to find a girl in Washington who hasn't had a history with Warner. Is it an issue?" Her eyes were searching Tony for a response. "I mean, I thought we were having fun."

"We are." Tony answered, slowly lowering himself onto the bed. Warner was obviously a bigger playboy than he thought. "And no, it's not issue."

"Good!" Phoebe stated. "Because now it's my turn to be on top." She climbed on top of him.

"If you insist." Tony replied, a big smile on his lips as Phoebe pinned his arms behind him, denying his fingers access to her naked body as she began to hungrily kiss him.

* * *

_The next day…_

Tony sat at his desk, looking through his messages, happily whistling away. He glanced over at Ziva, who was busily typing away. He noticed straight away that her demeanour had changed from yesterday. She was no longer glancing at the phone every five seconds, she was wearing make up and she had washed her hair.

Yesterday, he had desperately wanted to ask her if she was okay. He couldn't help but think that Warner had hurt her but he was afraid to ask. However, today, it was completely different, she was back to being the Ziva he knew.

"So Ziva, you and Warner want to join me and Phoebe to watch a baseball game tomorrow night?" Tony asked, hoping the simple invite would give him the vital clues he needed to figure out if Ziva was still attached to Warner.

Ziva glanced over at Tony. She had noticed his extremely good mood this morning; a sign that last night's date went well and he got lucky. The invitation of a double date had confirmed it. "Sorry but no thanks." Ziva replied. She didn't want to bring Tony and Warner together after only admitting to sleeping with Tony six months ago.

"C'mon Ziva…Warner loves baseball." Tony pleaded, looking for a definite confirmation of their status.

"Not as much as he loves being alone with me." Ziva replied.

"Right." Tony muttered, realising Ziva was still with Warner.

"So um, I'm guessing your date with Phoebe went well." Ziva observed.

"Yep, Warner was right…she's a fun girl." Tony replied, withholding all knowledge of how much fun Warner really knew Phoebe was. He didn't exactly know how to tell Ziva he was dating her boyfriend's ex.

"Well as long as you're being careful." Ziva said.

"What is that meant to mean?" Tony asked.

"C'mon Tony…a girl like that, you never know were she's been." Ziva replied.

"You'd be surprised." Tony muttered under his breath, desperately fighting the urge to spill all about Phoebe and Warner. "You know me…Tony 'no glove, no love' Dinozzo. And of course, I hope you are being careful too…I mean, Warner's no shrinking violet either."

"Of course I'm being careful Tony." Ziva hissed before returning to her work.

Tony sat back and watched her, aware that he had touched a nerve. He knew that she was aware of Warner's playboy status but she obviously didn't know the nitty gritty and he wasn't going to be the one to tell her.

* * *

Ziva was sitting on her sofa, curled up with a good book in her lap and a glass of wine beside her. She was wearing jeans and a cream roll neck sweater. Her dark hair was hanging down naturally. A gentle knock interrupted her quiet night in. She stood up and walked towards the door. She glanced through the peephole, revealing Warner with a pizza box in his hands. She pulled open the door.

"Hey baby!" Warner said as he breezed past her, placing a soft kiss on her cheek as he did so.

"I wasn't expecting a visit." Ziva stated as she followed Warner into the kitchen. "I mean, I'm happy to see you but aren't you meant to be on night shift?"

"I swapped with Cooper." Warner replied as he helped himself to a can of soda. "You want a slice?" He slid the box towards Ziva but she shook her head as a refusal.

"I ate earlier with McGee." She answered.

"Too bad because this is really nice." Warner stated, commenting on the pizza. "So did Tony say anything about Phoebe today?"

"He mentioned that the date was fun." Ziva replied. "Why?"

"Phoebe wouldn't stop talking about him all day." Warner retorted. "Apparently they're going to a baseball game and I thought maybe we could join them."

"Well Tony did invite us but I thought after what I told you last night…" She trailed off, referring to when she told Warner she once slept with Tony, "…Well, I thought spending time with Tony was the last thing you wanted."

"Yeah and normally I would agree." Warner replied. "But well, Tony's obviously not into you when he's asking Phoebe out so I don't have to worry about him cracking on to you."

"Yeah obviously." Ziva muttered, feeling like she was just stabbed in the heart when Warner stated the words 'Tony's obviously not into you'.

"So what do you think?" Warner asked. "Should we go to the game with them?"

"No, I still think they should go alone." Ziva replied. "I would be so annoyed if Tony and his date came on our second date."

"I guess." Warner reluctantly agreed. There was silence.

"So do you want to watch a movie?" Ziva asked, in a desperate attempt to end the silence.

"Actually, maybe we could talk about our plans for the holidays." Warner said. "Christmas is coming and I have been putting this off because I know you might not be happy with me."

"I'll not be happy about what?" Ziva asked.

"My mum wants me home for the holidays." Warner replied. "Sophie is having a really bad time with her ex getting married and mum wants me there because apparently I'm the only one she'll listen to."

"Well, I guess I could ask Gibbs for a few days extra off." Ziva said.

"Actually Ziva, my mum just expects me home." Warner replied.

"Oh right." Ziva muttered.

"I mean, I'd love you to come but Christmas is a pretty big deal for my mum and saying you don't celebrate it…" He trailed off.

"Of course your mother wouldn't want me there." Ziva stated, trying to remain calm but failing miserably. "After all, I'm Jewish!"

"Zee…it's just, it's Christmas." Warner said. "Your religion doesn't make any difference to me."

"But the fact I don't celebrate Christmas or wear this…" Ziva hissed, pulled her Star of David out from under her sweater. "…does make a difference." Just at that moment, the chain nipped in her hands.

"Zee…" Warner began, trying to comfort her.

"Huh, I wonder if this a sign?" Ziva sighed, holding up the broken chain.

"Ziva, I don't care about Christmas." Warner simply stated, removing the chain from her hands. "We'll get this fixed." He took Ziva in his arms and looked her in the eyes. "It's just, my sister needs me and as much as I'll miss you…"

"…you should be there for her." Ziva finished.

"I will make it up to you." Warner said. "I'll be back for New Years and well…I'll have eight days to shower you with presents when I get back."

"Technically, it won't be Hanukah then." Ziva pointed out.

"Pretend with me please." Warner begged and Ziva smiled.

"Okay." She replied before Warner softly pressed his lips against hers for a soft yet loving kiss and a lingering hug.

"Ziva David…I do love you, you know?" Warner stated, holding her. "Your Jewish ass an' all."

"I know." Ziva sighed, a small smile on her lips as she buried her head into his chest. "But not as much as you love your mother." She couldn't help but think.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter…It's Christmas at NCIS Headquarters!**


	21. And Then There Was Mistletoe

**Hey guys, thanks for all the reviews. I know some of you were not happy with the lack of Tiva in the last chapter so hopefully this chapter makes up for it ;) Sorry I didn't post it on Saturday but I don't have a lot of time for writing at the minute and this was a long chapter. Hope you enjoy! Feel free to read and review please! It's very appreciated!**

**P.S. Sorry if there are any typos. **

**Chapter 21 – And Then There Was Mistletoe**

_A few days later…_

Ziva stepped out of the elevator and into the bullpen, caught off guard by the sudden appearance of Christmas decorations and a Christmas tree, tastefully decorated in white and gold.

"Did I get off at the wrong floor?" She asked as she made her way towards her desk.

"Nope…welcome to NCIS under Director Vance." Tony replied. He was already sitting at his desk.

"And we get to have a Christmas office party!" Tim happily exclaimed from his desk. Ziva smiled when she saw his face. He was like a 5-year-old boy, discovering the new bike Santa had left him, hours after he thought he opened all his presents.

"Relax McGeek, an office party will not increase your chances of getting some lip action in the photocopying room with Gloria from the accounting department." Tony stated.

"It might." McGee replied, trying not to sound deflated, but failing miserably.

"Yeah right…those type of things only happen in movies so if it will happen…it'll happen to me." Tony retorted. "I'm the one who has watched enough movies to know how to set the scene."

"Tony let him have his dreams." Ziva said as she switched on her computer. "Anyway, I don't think Phoebe would be too pleased to hear that you plan to kiss Gloria from accounting."

"It's nothing to do with her." Tony responded. "We've only had a few dates, I can kiss whoever I want."

Ziva fought the urge to smile, even though she was smiling on the inside. She was happy to hear Tony wasn't settling down with Phoebe.

"Unlike you, I have the freedom to roam with my mistletoe." Tony continued. "You'll have Warner by your side."

"Actually I won't." Ziva replied, coolly.

"Aw, don't tell me it's all over?" Tony stated, trying to feign disappointment but failing miserably as a smug grin spread across his lips.

"Of course not!" Ziva scoffed, staring directly at Tony. "He's just, he is going back to Chicago to spend the holidays with his family."

"Without you?" Tony asked.

"Yes." Ziva replied, suddenly feeling uncomfortable. She began to look down at her computer keyboard.

Tony observed Ziva. He could tell she was uncomfortable. She didn't look any different but he could tell there was something wrong as she began to type. Then he noticed it. She was not wearing her Star of David. She wore it everyday unless she was undercover. "Ziva, where is your chain?" He asked.

"Huh?" Ziva asked, her fingers automatically touching her neck to find nothing. "Oh, the chain nipped. I have to take it to the jewellers to get fixed." She was trying to be as composed as possible. She didn't even look up from her keyboard.

"Okay." Tony muttered. He couldn't help but wonder if Ziva lack of chain was to do with Warner's visit home and his disapproving mother.

* * *

_A few days later…_

Ziva sat on Warner's bed watching him pack. She was wearing a red satin strapless dress with a knotted bodice and flowing skirt that came to just above her knees. She wore matching red peep toe 3 inch heeled pumps and a red clutch bag. Her make up and jewellery were minimal; her long dark hair was straightened and pinned up, creating a classic look. If a stranger were to see her, they would never assume she was Mossad; her beauty would stun them.

"What time is your flight?" She asked.

"In a few hours." Warner replied, throwing another pair of jeans into his suitcase.

"So um, I guess an appearance at my office party is too much to ask?" Ziva asked.

"Aw Zee, I'm really sorry but I can't." Warner replied. "Trust me, I wish I could…especially as you look so hot!" He leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on her neck. "I have a lot of things in mind for what we could do in Gibbs' office." He was referring to the elevator. Ziva giggled as he continued to nibble on her neck.

"Gibbs' office?" She giggled, gently pushing him away. "Never!"

"Zee, I was going to wait until I came back to do this but I think now is the perfect time." Warner suddenly stated, becoming serious. He pulled open his bedside locker and lifted out a small box.

"Warner, what is it?" She asked, beginning to panic as she saw him clutching a small, ring sized, gift-wrapped box.

"One of your Christmas…I mean, Hanukah presents." He stated, placing the box in her hands.

"I thought we were going to exchange presents when you got back?" Ziva stated, becoming embarrassed by the idea of what might be in that box.

"We are but I want you to have this now." He said.

"Okay." Ziva muttered, before carefully opening the box. She could feel Warner's eyes on her. She opened the box to reveal a key. She lifted into out, relieved that it wasn't a ring. "It's a key!"

"Not just any key…it's the key to my apartment." Warner replied, watching Ziva's reaction.

"Oh!" Ziva sighed, taken aback with the surprise.

"And that's not all." Warner said as he took her hand and pulled her off the bed. He led her towards his closet. He opened the closet to reveal two empty shelves and an empty hanging rack. "We've been together for a few months now…I thought it was about time you stopped having to carry your underwear across town every day."

Ziva was silent as she took it all in. "So what do you think?" Warner asked, unnerved by her silence. She spun around to face him and wrapped her arms around his neck.

"I think I'm really glad that I have a few more days before we have to swap gifts because I don't know how I'm going to top this." She answered.

"So you like it?" Warner observed, smiling as relief washed over him.

"Oh yeah, I like it." Ziva replied with a smile, before crashing her lips against his.

* * *

_The bullpen…Office Christmas Party_

The office party had been in full swing for at least an hour as Ziva stepped out of the elevator, the Christmas songs blaring out of the sound system hitting her instantly. She laughed silently as she noticed Gibbs standing on top of one of the tables, along with Director Vance, both waving their arms and singing along. Gibbs obviously had a lot of bourbon in him, saying nearly every word out of his mouth in the few days the decorations had been up were "Bah Humbug".

"Ziva!" She heard Abby squeal before she saw her coming towards her. Abby was dressed in a long black gothic dress, which just screamed 'Abby'. Also coming behind her was Ducky, wearing a sports jacket and matching bowtie.

"Happy Holidays my child!" Ducky stated, getting in for a hug before Abby.

"Yeah, Happy Holidays!" Abby said, hugging Ziva.

"Thank you." Ziva replied. "Happy Holidays."

"Did you spot our Jethro?" Ducky asked, slightly giggling.

"Yes I did." Ziva replied. "How much bourbon has he had?"

"Officially, two drinks." Ducky replied.

"And unofficially?" Ziva asked. Abby and Ducky began to giggle like naughty school children. Ziva raised her eyebrows, questioning them.

"We've been putting a shot in every cup of coffee today." Abby answered, giggling. "So he's had at least 8."

"Oh you two are so naughty!" Ziva scolded, although she had to stifle her own laughter.

"We had to get him in the party mood some way." Ducky laughed.

"And McGee?" Ziva asked, enquiring about his whereabouts.

"In the photocopying room no doubt!" Abby stated, obviously hurt before walking away to join in with the party.

"Timothy got his girl." Ducky whispered to Ziva.

"Gloria from accounting?" Ziva asked, stunned. Ducky nodded. "So let me guess, Tony is somewhere sulking?"

"Of course." Ducky replied. Ziva thanked him and headed off to find her partner.

* * *

Tony sat in one of the corner booths of the bullpen, hiding from the rest of the party. He was dressed in a black Hugo Boss suit, with a white shirt and black tie. He couldn't believe that McGee was making out with Gloria…not that he wanted her; he just didn't want McGee to have her.

"So I guess McGee belongs in the movies." He heard Ziva's familiar voice say. He looked up to find her in front of him.

"You made it…an hour later." He said, a smile forming on his lips. He had a sharp intake of breath. She looked stunning.

"Yeah I um…got held up." Ziva said, not wanting to admit that Warner was the reason for her delay.

"Well you look amazing." Tony said.

"Thanks…you look pretty good too." She replied, sitting on the desk.

"Well…I guess this is our first office party." Tony said, in a desperate attempt to keep the conversation going. He didn't know why but tonight, being alone in a corner with Ziva, it felt awkward.

"Yes it is." Ziva agreed. There was silence. Suddenly Ziva reached into her purse and pulled out a small gift-wrapped box. "Merry Christmas Tony."

Tony looked at her questionably as he took the box out of her hands. "What is this?" He asked.

"Your gift." Ziva simply replied. "I know we normally exchange gifts when we return to work but I had it and…" She trailed off. "Will you just open it?"

Tony smiled and began to unwrap the gift. He opened the box to reveal two gun shaped cufflinks, in a '007 Quantum of Solace' box. "James Bond cufflinks? Where did you…? How did you…? Wow Ziva, thanks."

"I was out shopping for a gift for Warner and I saw them and thought of you." Ziva replied as she watched Tony excitedly change over his old cufflinks to the ones Ziva bought him. "So you like them?"

"Duh! Yeah, of course." Tony replied and Ziva smiled. As soon as he fixed his cufflinks, he showed them to Ziva.

"Hmmm, very nice." She said, a smile fixed on her lips, happy that Tony liked his gift.

"Here, you should take your gift too." Tony said, pulling a box out of his pocket.

"Tony…you didn't have to…" Ziva began to protest.

"No, I want you to have it now." Tony retorted, forcing the box into her hand.

Ziva looked up at Tony, a thankful smile on her lips, before she looked down on the box in her hands, waiting to be opened.

* * *

Warner stepped out if the elevator into the bullpen, taken aback by the sight of Director Vance and Gibbs singing Christmas Carols together.

"Warner!" He heard Abby squeal. "Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas Abs." He said, giving her a quick hug.

"Shouldn't you be on your way to Chicago?" Abby asked.

"My plane was delayed so I thought I'm come and spend my last few hours with my girl." He replied. "So, where is she?"

"Dunno, probably searching for Tony." Abby replied before heading towards Gibbs and Director Vance.

Warner laughed lightly, shaking his head before pushing his way through the partygoers, searching for Ziva.

* * *

Ziva slowly opened the box. She gasped as she caught sight of the gift inside. It was a white gold Star of David on a white gold chain, with eight small diamonds down one side of the star, each diamond representing a day of Hanukah. "Tony…I…I can't accept this." She stated, looking up at Tony in total shock.

"Of course you can." Tony simply stated, removing the chain from the box.

"But it must have cost…" Ziva began to protest.

"Ziva, you're worth it." Tony simply said. He opened the clasp of the chain and leaned over to put it around her neck. Once it was on, he stepped back to admire it. "There, you're Ziva now."

Ziva's fingers gently grazed the star. "Thank you Tony."

Her hand fell to her side and gripped the desk she was sitting on. She didn't know why, but something had changed. She was suddenly nervous in front of Tony…a good nervous. Tony reached over and touched the star. Ziva shivered at his touch and looked up to meet his eyes.

Slowly, Tony's eyes travelled down to Ziva's lips as his fingers travelled up her neck towards her mouth. He could feel Ziva's chest rise and fall as her breathing became more rapid and heavy. Her heart was racing, just like his.

He glanced back up at her eyes, almost asking for an invitation. He didn't find a spoken invite, but she did arch her body towards him, she was definitely not protesting. He wrapped one arm around her waist. His other hand gently slid from her lips to cup her cheek. He moved his face towards hers slowly, their lips growing closer every second, giving her every chance to pull away but she didn't.

Slowly their lips came together, hesitant at first, almost afraid of what they might find. He could feel her relax under his touch. Tentatively, his tongue grazed her lips, requesting access. She gave in almost instantly as their tongues danced together, exploring each other's mouths.

Ziva's free hand began to caress Tony's hair while the other continued to grip the table for support. Tony pulled her closer, pressing her against his body. He could feel her purr in his mouth and the hand that once gripped the desk began to grip his shirt.

"Oh Tony!" She purred, just enough to let Tony regain his senses. He quickly backed off, ignoring Ziva's attempts to prolong the kiss.

Slowly, Ziva opened her eyes and looked up at him, her eyes questioning him, unable to understand what had just happened. He pointed above their heads, revealing one stick of mistletoe. "Mistletoe." He feebly replied before he walked away, towards the elevators, leaving Ziva alone and confused.

Tony reached the elevator and stepped in. As soon as the doors slid close, he pressed the emergency stop and banged his head against one of the cool, steel rails. "Stupid, stupid Tony!" He chastised himself.

Back at the corner booth, Ziva slowly slid off the desk and readjusted her dress. Her mind was still racing after what had just happened. Had she just kissed Tony?

Unbeknown to them both, Warner had witnessed it all and had stormed off, mid kiss; unable to shake off the image of the girl he loved kissing her partner, who was meant to be 'just a friend'.

* * *

_A few hours later…_

Ziva sat, curled up on her couch, clutching a cup of coffee. She had not got changed out of her dress yet, although her hair was now down. Her fingers gently touched her lips, unable to shake the sensation of Tony's lips on hers.

She glanced at the photograph on the coffee table of herself and Warner. It was just taken after their daily jog. They were both sticky and sweaty but there was no mistaking the happy smiles on their faces as they stared into each other's eyes.

"It was only mistletoe." She tried to tell herself. "He kissed you because of the mistletoe. You can't throw everything with Warner away after one kiss with Tony. It meant nothing."

She shook her head, unable to convince herself. She stood up, put the coffee cup down and grabbed her car keys.

* * *

Ziva stood outside Tony's apartment, taking a deep breath, trying to steady her breathing. She finally worked up the courage to knock at his door. There was no going back now as she could hear footsteps at the other side.

"Tony, we need to talk about…" She began to say quickly as the door pulled open. She stopped mid-sentence, finding Phoebe, wearing only a short silk robe in front of her. Her blonde hair extremely tussled. "Phoebe!"

"Oh hey Ziva." Phoebe replied casually; Ziva's shocked reaction having no effect.

"I'm sorry, I didn't expect to find you here." Ziva replied, in total shock.

"Me either!" Phoebe giggled. "But Tony called me after he left the party and asked me to come over. Let me tell you, it must have been some party because he was horny as hell. He's just gone to the store for some wine if you want to wait. By the way, you look super hot tonight."

"Um thanks." Ziva stated when Phoebe finally let her get a word in. Her shock was slowly beginning to subside. "I don't think I will wait. I don't want to interrupt anything…especially a _horny_ Tony."

"Good." Phoebe said cheerily. "I mean, not that you're not welcome but Tony…well he is really an Italian stallion. I mean when Warner was trying to set us up, I wasn't sure…with Warner being my ex and all…"

"You used to date Warner?" Ziva asked, the shock resurfacing again.

"Oh yeah!" Phoebe replied. This time Ziva's shocked reaction did register with Phoebe. "I thought you knew…I mean, I thought Warner or maybe Tony would have told you…"

"Tony knew?!" Ziva exclaimed.

"Yeah, I told him on our first date." Phoebe answered. "Ziva, I really thought you knew…I mean, I know you've slept with Tony…"

Ziva exhaled, feeling as if she was punched in the gut. "It's fine Phoebe." She managed to say. "Enjoy the rest of your night." She began to walk away.

"Should I tell Tony you called?" Phoebe called after her.

"No." Ziva simply replied, not stopping as she continued to walk away, tears building in her eyes.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter –** **Ziva and Tony both make decisions about their current relationships as the New Year approaches. **


	22. The Truth is Out There

**Hi guys! Sorry I didn't post a new chapter last week but I haven't had much time to write at the minute. I really hope you enjoy this chapter. And a BIG thank you for all the reviews for the last chapter. I really appreciate it!**

**Chapter 22 – The Truth Is Out There**

_A few days after Christmas…the bullpen…0657_

Tony stepped out of the elevator and groaned as he faced the Christmas tree, that was beginning to die. A cruel reminder that Christmas was over and they were back at work. McGee and Ziva were already at their desks and working.

"Morning Probie…Crazy Ninja." He stated cheerily. "Great to be back at work, huh?" Now he was being sarcastic.

"Morning Tony." McGee replied. Ziva said nothing, which did not go unnoticed by McGee.

"So where's the boss?" Tony asked, his eyes on Ziva. She didn't answer.

"He's um…in MTAC." McGee answered, his eyes shifting between Tony and Ziva. He watched as Tony sat down on the edge of Ziva's desk.

"So Zee-vah, did you have a nice break?" Tony asked. Again, Ziva did not answer, instead, she continued typing. He leaned in to her, aware that McGee was watching from the corner of his eyes. "You know, I tried phoning you about twenty times. I got your machine every time…I left messages…"

Ziva jumped up from her seat, taking him by surprise, cutting him off mid-sentence. "Tim, I'm going to photocopy my report. Do you need anything photocopied?"

"No I'm um…fine." McGee replied, finding the tension in the room awkward. He watched Ziva stride off to the photocopying room. He raised his eyebrows at Tony, trying to question him but Tony didn't answer. Instead, he chased after Ziva.

"Ziva…" Tony began, following her. "C'mon Ziva…you have to stop the silent treatment…Ziva!" He finally snapped, grabbing her arm and forcing her to stop and spin around. "Would you talk to me please?"

"I have nothing to say!" She firmly stated and continued walking.

"Okay…I get it." Tony said, still following her. "You're mad at me for kissing you. I know I shouldn't have done it…after all, you're someone else's girl but it was mistletoe and it was just meant to be a little fun…"

"Fun!" Ziva hissed, spinning around to face him. Tony had to stop quickly, to avoid crashing into her. She shook her head, a few tears built up behind her eyes. "Of course it's always about fun with you Tony!"

"Okay, I am sensing this is about more than me kissing you under the mistletoe." Tony observed.

Ziva laughed out loud. "Great investigative skills there Tony." She began to photocopy her report.

"Look, if me kissing you caused some problem between you and Warner, I'll explain to him that I was only messing about." Tony said. "I mean, you're my partner…like I'd ever really want to kiss you." He scoffed nervously, trying to hide his true feelings.

"Of course you wouldn't." Ziva muttered angrily.

"C'mon Ziva…we're partners, you have to trust me." Tony pleaded.

"I trusted you to tell me that you're dating my boyfriend's ex but you didn't…I had to hear it from your date!" Ziva snapped.

"Oh." Tony muttered, now getting why she was so upset. "It wasn't my place to tell you."

"Yeah, like Warner would admit to dating someone he works with everyday!" Ziva hissed.

"Why not? You told him about us two…it would have been nice if you had've told me he knew…rather than finding out from Phoebe." Tony retorted. "Now I look like a idiot in front of him."

"Of course Tony…the most important thing here is how it makes you look." Ziva barked. "Anyway, what happened between me and you was completely different."

"How's that?" Tony asked.

"It was a mistake…a one time thing." Ziva replied. "It obviously meant nothing because as soon as you came back you hooked up with some nameless bimbo from the bar. Warner however…went back for more with Phoebe."

"Fine, if that's how you want to take what happened between us then that's okay." Tony stated. He leaned into her. "But at the time, that night…it meant everything to me."

"Yeah, at that time…but what about now?" Ziva asked, her eyes searching for Tony's answer. He looked her in the eye.

"Now you have Warner and I have Phoebe. Everything is the way it should be." He answered and walked back to his desk.

Ziva gripped the photocopier to stop herself from collapsing; her legs feeling like jelly; her chest hurting from her heart being broken all over again.

* * *

_A few days later…New Years Eve_

Ziva was sitting on Warner's sofa, cuddling one of the cushions. She didn't know why she was there. A few days ago, she swore to herself it was over…she was tired of the tangled webs of past relationships. However, after the showdown with Tony, it was pretty clear that Tony had no interest in her. His cold words clearly ringing in her ears _'Now you have Warner and I have Phoebe. Everything is the way it should be'._

She couldn't believe she was willing to throw everything she had with Warner away after only one kiss with Tony. I mean, this was Tony – her partner – one of the biggest players in Washington. Okay, Warner was a player too but at least now he was showing signs of wanting to settle down – with her.

She could hear a key turning in the front door lock. She forced a huge smile on her lips, determined to give Warner a good welcome home. She would try to ignore his past with Phoebe; after all, she wasn't completely innocent either, after her indiscretion with Tony.

She stood up as the door opened, getting ready to embrace the man she knew she could love…and would happily love her back. "Welcome home!" She cried, heading towards the door as Warner put down his suitcase.

"Ziva…what are you doing here?" He asked.

"Duh, I used your Hanukah present…your key…to make sure I was here to see in the New Year with my guy." She replied, embracing him. She became confused when he didn't return the hug. She stepped back, her eyes questioning him.

"Shouldn't you be at Dinozzo's house then?" He asked, pushing past her.

She continued to look confused as her eyes followed him around the room. "Why would I be with Tony when you're my guy?" She asked.

"Really?" Warner asked. He spun around to face her. "Because when I called to your office party to see you, he sure looked like your guy…especially when your lips were all over him!"

"Oh!" Ziva exclaimed, in shock.

"Yeah, oh!" Warner hissed, sitting down on the sofa.

"Warner…that can be explained." Ziva began. "You see, there was some mistletoe and…."

"Ziva, I have seen plenty of mistletoe kisses between friends and colleagues before and none of them have ever looked like…" He retorted, and then shuddered before finishing his sentence "…_that_!"

"But it was nothing!" Ziva pleaded.

"It didn't look like nothing…especially for two people who claim to be '_just good friends_'." Warner barked, emphasising the 'just good friends' with his fingers.

"Okay, I can see why you would think that but Warner, at least I told you about my past with Tony." Ziva answered.

"So what?" Warner snapped. "I should just forget your little indiscretion? Ziva, the fact you slept with him before makes it even worse!"

"But at least I was honest about my past with colleagues…you on the other hand…" She trailed off.

"My past with colleagues?" Warner spat. "Ziva, I don't have a past!"

"So what was Phoebe?" Ziva hissed.

"What?" Warner asked, finally realising where this argument was going.

"How could you think I was never going to find out?" Ziva asked, her eyes filling with tears.

"Who told you? Dinozzo?" Warner stated. "Of course it was…I bet he loved…"

"Actually it was Phoebe herself." Ziva replied. "She thought you or Tony would have told me by now. How wrong was she!"

"Ziva…it was just a fling…it only lasted a few weeks." Warner tried to explain.

"Warner, until I came along…a few weeks was a relationship for you." Ziva observed. "At least me and Tony…it was a one night thing…you went back to Phoebe for more."

Warner was silent. He knew he couldn't defend himself. Ziva sat down on the sofa beside him, also in silence. They both stared ahead, not sure what to do next.

* * *

Tony sat on his sofa, beer in his hand, watching the New Year countdown show. He was dressed in jeans and a simple t-shirt. Normally, on New Years Eve, he was out at a party, with a pretty date, making sure he had someone to kiss as the clock struck 12, but not this year. He didn't feel like going out.

The last few days had been very frustrating. He couldn't help but think of Ziva, and wonder why he dared to say what he said. She had given him the perfect opportunity for him to tell her how he felt. Instead, he pushed her straight back into Warner's waiting arms.

He hadn't even tried to fix it. At work, he saw her looking over at him, her eyes full of hurt and dare he think it, doubt, but he still didn't try to take back what he said. Instead, he took every opportunity he got to work with McGee or go see Abby and Ducky, just to avoid her.

The gently tapping of someone at his door, forced him to remove himself from his thoughts and get himself off his sofa. He headed towards the door and pulled it open, to reveal Phoebe, wearing a black cocktail dress, her hair, nails and make up done to perfection.

"Hey baby!" She exclaimed, before her eyes fell on his casual attire. "I thought we were heading out."

"Oh yeah!" Tony muttered. He had completely forgotten that he had made plans with her. He had made them the night of the office Christmas party. "Sorry, I guess it slipped my mind."

"How could New Years have slipped your mind?" She asked as she entered the apartment. "Did you have a bad day at work?"

"No, it's just…well, I'm not really in a party mood." Tony tried to explain. Phoebe was looking him in the eye. She was watching him. Her intensity unnerved him. Tony stared at the ground, in a desperate attempt to break eye contact.

"Right, of course." She muttered, before heading towards the door.

"But you can stay and watch the countdown." Tony added as an afterthought.

Phoebe scoffed and spun around to face him. "Thanks but no thanks!" She snapped. "Tony, it takes time and money to look this good! I did not do all this just to sit in your apartment."

"C'mon Phoebe, I thought we were having fun." Tony said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Of course!" Phoebe scoffed, throwing her hands in the air. "Good old Phoebe, always up for a bit of fun but anything more…no thanks, hey Tony?"

"Okay now I'm confused." Tony said, wondering how this argument even started. So he forgot they had plans, big deal! How did it suddenly become about the status of their relationship?

"Well let me make it simple Tony. The fun ends now…it's over!" She stated and turned to walk away.

"Now, hold on Phoebe…" Tony began, taking a hold of her arm to spin her around to face him.

"No, you hold on Tony!" She hissed, breaking free from his hold. "I've been through this before with Warner…waiting for him to pick me, only to find he'd fallen for some Israeli girl."

"What has Ziva got to do with us?" Tony asked.

"Everything!" Phoebe cried. "Tonight, I saw that look in your eyes…the same look Warner had when he told me he had fallen in love with Ziva. You've fallen for her too but you won't admit it…and I'm not sticking around for the fall out." She began to walk out of the apartment again.

"Phoebe…" Tony called. She spun around to face him.

"Don't even try to deny it Tony, we both know it's the truth." Phoebe simply stated.

"I'm sorry Phoebe." He apologised.

"Me too Tony. Me too." She said and left.

Tony ran his fingers through his hair, before grabbing his bottle of beer and tossing it against the wall, wondering how he ever got himself in this mess. Oh yeah…he remembered, he broke rule number 12.

* * *

Ziva and Warner continued to sit in silence, staring out into space for at least twenty minutes. Finally, Warner looked at her. "So, what happens now?"

"I dunno." Ziva replied as she looked at him. Her eyes were beginning to fill with tears. "I do know we can't keep going the way we're going."

"I know." He agreed.

"I mean, I'm tired of fighting about our past." Ziva stated. "Remember when it was just me and you, no Tony, no Phoebe…no secrets from the past? Remember how good it was?"

"Yeah." Warner muttered.

"Do you ever think we can get that back?" Ziva asked.

"I dunno…I mean, it would take complete honesty…from both of us." Warner replied.

"Okay…" Ziva began. "I'm willing if you are."

"Of course." Warner agreed.

"So where do we begin?" Ziva asked.

"Hold on." Warner answered. He stood up, walked over to the phone table. He opened the draw and pulled out his little black book. He walked towards Ziva again and sat down. "Maybe we should begin here?" He suggested, holding up his little black book. Ziva nodded her head in response.

* * *

As the clock struck 12, Tony sat in front of the TV, alone, watching the ball drop over Time Square, nursing his seventh beer.

* * *

As the clock struck 12, Warner and Ziva stood over a metal trashcan. Warner held a lit match and his little black book over it. He lit the book on fire and dropped it in the trashcan. He then took hold of Ziva's hand, their eyes both watching it burn.

Over the last hour, they had discussed their past. Warner had been very open about his past girlfriends in his little black book. Ziva, in return, told him about Rishon, Roy, Michael and Tony. She also decided to tell him about her family, after lying to him on their first date. She told him about her siblings and the deaths and heartbreaks they caused. Although, she did not reveal that she was responsible for the death of Ari. That was one secret she's take to her deathbed.

At the last strike of 12, they looked each other in the eyes. "To new beginnings!" Warner said.

"To new beginnings!" Ziva repeated, before her lips crashed against his for a soft, loving kiss.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter…Ziva and Warner try to move on as an old friend returns.**


	23. To New Beginnings

**Hi guys! Thanks to everyone who is reading and reviewing this fic. I know it's hard to stick with it, especaily as Warner will just not disappear ;) I only have a few chapters left to write and post so I hope you will continue to stick with it. There will be a Tiva ending, I hope ;) Sorry I haven't posted much but life is keeping me busy. Hope you enjoy this chapter and feel free to review!**

**Oh, and Happy Hoildays in case I can't post before the holidays!**

**Chapter 23 – To New Beginnings**

_New Year's Day…the bullpen…0859_

Tony was sitting at his desk, his head buried in his hands, thankful that today, they had a late start. He was seriously regretting the 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th beer, which had led to his seriously bad hangover. He was dressed semi-casual today, in dark jeans and a blue striped button down shirt, with the sleeves rolled to ¾ length.

McGee was at his desk, busily typing away. "McGeek, please stop with the typing!" Tony begged. "It's hurting my head."

"Good party last night Dinozzo?" Gibbs asked as he strolled into the bullpen. He slammed down a bottle of water and two painkillers in front of Dinozzo.

"I wish." Tony grunted, before nodding his head as a thank you. He took the medication as Gibbs slipped into his desk.

"Where's David?" Gibbs asked, noticing Ziva was not at her desk.

"She's not here yet boss." McGee replied. "She probably had a late night saying Warner came back from Chicago yesterday."

"He's back?" Gibbs asked. "He didn't call."

"Was he meant to?" McGee asked.

"Well no but I thought he would." Gibbs replied. "He knew I was spending the holiday working on the boat, I thought he'd want a progress report."

"I'm sure he and Ziva had other things on their mind after a week apart." McGee said. "Although, I did have an online game of Elf Lord with him when he was in Chicago."

Gibbs grunted in response, while Tony rolled his eyes, slightly annoyed and envious that both Probie and Gibbs were vying for Warner's attention. They never competed for his attention.

Just then, the ding of the elevator signalled Ziva's arrival. Tony watched her stride into the bullpen. She looked so happy and confident today, compared to the few days previous. She was wearing dark high-waist wide leg jeans and a cream ruffled blouse, tucked into the jeans, with black high-heeled boots. Her badge and gun were clearly on display. Her long dark hair was straightened and in a high ponytail.

"Happy New Year!" She greeted them, cheerfully.

"Happy New Year." Both Gibbs and McGee replied while Tony grunted in response.

"Hung under Tony?" She asked as she took a framed photograph of herself and Warner out of her bag and placed it on her desk. It was one of Warner's Hanukah presents to her.

"It's hung OVER Ziva, and yes I am." Tony muttered.

"You really should learn to pace yourself Tony." Ziva stated. "Phoebe is a lot younger than you, you really shouldn't be trying to keep up with her."

"I wasn't with Phoebe." Tony retorted.

"Oh." Ziva mumbled, able to read the expression in Tony's eyes. She could tell it was over. "I'm sorry Tony." She sat on the edge of Tony's desk.

Tony shrugged his shoulders in response. "I assume you spent New Years Eve with Warner." It was more of a statement than a question. He silently noted that she was wearing her old 'Star of David' around her neck, not the necklace he bought her.

"Of course, isn't that what New Years is about?" Ziva replied. "Seeing in the New Year with the one you love?"

"So Warner is back in town?" Gibbs asked.

"Of course." Ziva replied. "He said he would call you later, to see how the boat is coming along." Gibbs smiled at McGee, who rolled his eyes in response.

"So um, you and Warner seem to be um…happy." Tony said quietly to Ziva, ignoring the gloating contest between Gibbs and McGee.

"Yeah, we've decided to start afresh." Ziva replied. "I mean, you were right…me and Warner together is the way it should be. So thanks!" She hopped off his desk.

"Your welcome!" He grunted through gritted teeth as Ziva made her way back to her desk, just as her phone started ringing.

"David." She answered. Gibbs, Tony and McGee watched her. "Okay, I'll be down now." She hung up.

"Problem?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah, apparently there is a guy at the gate looking to see me but security won't let him through." Ziva replied.

"Well I guess you better go." Gibbs said.

"Yeah." Ziva muttered, confused as she left the bullpen, with Gibbs, Tony and McGee also wondering who was the mystery guy.

* * *

Ziva walked through the outdoor parking lot towards the security check in. "Officer David, I'm sorry to have to bother you but procedures say if the person doesn't have appointment or security clearance then…" The security man began to say as Ziva approached him.

"It's fine Ben." Ziva said, referring to the security man by his first name. "Where is this man?"

"He's over there, in that SUV." Ben replied, pointing to a blue SUV.

"Thanks." Ziva stated and headed over to the SUV, her hand hovering over weapon. She began to smile as she caught sight of the man in his wing mirror. The door swung open and the man began to step out.

"Oh, like you were gonna pull your weapon in me!" The man exclaimed sarcastically as he faced Ziva. He was tall, tan and dark, with stubble covering his face and the deepest darkest chocolate brown eyes you would ever find.

"Rishon!" Ziva cried happily, engulfing him in a hug. "What are you doing here? I thought you were in Spain?"

"Oh, that operative is now completed, successfully." He answered. "I found myself with a few days in the States before I have to return to Israel for my next mission and I thought I would drop in and see my favourite ex-fiancée."

"I'm you're only ex-fiancée!" Ziva stated, playfully punching Rishon in the arm.

"Yeah, true." Rishon agreed. "So, do you want to grab something to eat and catch up?"

"Um Rishon…I'm working." Ziva stated pointing to the NCIS headquarters behind her.

"C'mon Zee, blow it off." Rishon said. "Remember the times we would cut out early at Mossad?"

"Yeah and cutting out on my dad is one thing…Gibbs is another." Ziva replied. "You really don't want to see him mad."

"Okay, so…rain check?" Rishon asked.

"Definitely." Ziva replied. She began to walk away, stopped and turned to face him again. "Here." She tossed him the keys to her apartment. "Make yourself at home. I'll try to get home early."

"Ziva David, are you considering leaving work early?" Rishon teased. "You naughty girl."

She threw her hands up in the air and smiled. "You always were a bad influence on me Rishon Baran." She answered before running back into NCIS headquarters. Rishon watched her go, quietly laughing to himself.

* * *

_Later that day...some random bar_

Tony was sitting at the end of the bar, nursing his second beer, and hoping the _'hair of the dog'_ would cure his hangover. After all, the 7 Gibbs slaps he received during the day had given little or no relief.

He could see a beautiful Latino girl, with medium length curly hair and dark eyes standing at the bar, by herself. He slid over to her. "Hey, I'm Tony…can I buy you a drink?"

"So is this Tony DiNardo, the film lecturer offering me a drink or Tony Dinozzo, the federal agent?" The girl retorted. Tony was caught off guard. "Oh, don't you remember me? I'm Sophia…one of the nurses that worked on Jeanne's ward."

Suddenly, Tony remembered the girl, he had seen her the many times he visited Jeanne at work. He hung is head in shame.

"She really loved you, you know?" The girl snapped.

"I had a job to do Sophia." Tony muttered lamely. "I didn't mean for anyone to get hurt."

"Yeah, well at least she found happiness in the end." Sophia hissed.

"What do you mean?" Tony asked.

"Oh didn't you hear?" Sophia smirked. She tossed him a paper. Tony looked down. It was at the wedding announcements. "She's getting married, to a very hunky doctor in South Africa."

The girl grabbed her purse, slid off the bar stool and walked away, leaving Tony to reread the wedding announcement over and over again. Along with the wedding announcement was a picture, of Jeanne smiling face, her arms wrapped around a gorgeous man, who wasn't Tony.

* * *

_Ziva's apartment…_

Ziva slipped her key into the lock and pushed open her door. "Rishon, I'm home." She called as she dumped her bag at the door.

"Zee, have you something to tell me?" Rishon asked, standing at the doorframe of her bedroom, dangling a pair of boxers from his index finger.

"You were going through my things?" Ziva asked, crossing her arms.

"Ziva, these are not yours." Rishon replied, holding out the boxers to show their size. "You could fit two of you in these."

"Okay, if you must know I've started seeing someone and it's becoming serious, although I haven't told my father yet." Ziva replied, sitting down on her couch. "He's not Jewish."

Rishon smirked. "So do I know the lucky guy?" He asked, already picturing Dinozzo in his mind.

"No." Ziva simply replied. "I met him when I returned to Washington."

"What?" Rishon asked, confused. "But what about…"

"What about who?" Ziva asked.

"Tony." Rishon replied.

"Tony?" Ziva scoffed. "Rishon, he's my partner. I've been there and done that…with you. I'm not making the same mistake twice." She got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen.

"But I saw how you two looked at each other in Greece." Rishon stated, following her into the kitchen. "I thought…I mean…"

"Rishon, that was Greece…this is Washington." Ziva replied, beginning to bring out some vegetables to prepare dinner.

"So what happened?" Rishon asked.

"Nothing that you need to know." Ziva replied, beginning to chop some carrots. "All you need to know is I'm happy."

"Zee?" Rishon softly said, placing his hand over hers, forcing her to stop chopping and look up. His eyes were questioning her.

She put down the knife and spun around to face him. "When I got reinstated back at NCIS, we all headed out to a nightclub to celebrate. Tony bumped into some random girl and made it pretty clear what his intentions were…he wanted her and only her. Anyway, this guy made a move on me and I blew him off." Rishon nodded, following the story. "Then I bumped into him at a crime scene, where he was the fire lieutenant and he asked me out again and I accepted. Four months later…we're together and in love while Tony is still sleeping with random girls."

"So you've settled for this fire lieutenant?" Rishon observed.

"I haven't settled for Warner…that's his name by the way." Ziva retorted. "If I wanted to settle for second best I'd still be pining over Tony, watching him head home with another girl every night, waiting for him to grow up and I'm not going to settle for that. I want to be happy and Warner can give me that."

"As long as you're sure Ziva." Rishon answered, not convinced by her plea.

"I am." Ziva replied before returning to her chopping.

* * *

Ziva and Rishon were just finishing dinner when a gentle tapping of the door interrupted them. Ziva got up to open the door. She pulled open the door to find a drunken Tony slouched against her doorframe.

He shoved the paper into Ziva's face. "She's getting married, can you believe that?" He hissed, his words slurring.

"Who is?" Ziva asked confused as she wrapped her arm around Tony's waist to support him.

"Jeanne!" Tony snapped, looking at Ziva as if she should know what he was talking about.

"Oh." Ziva sighed, finally understanding.

"Have a little too much to drink Dinozzo?" Rishon asked, getting up to help Ziva walk Tony over to the couch.

"Hey man, I didn't know you were back in town." Tony stated, his words slurring as he looked at Rishon.

"Yeah, I'm just here for a short break." Rishon answered as Tony flopped down on the couch.

Tony motioned Rishon to come closer so he could whisper something. Rishon leaned in as Ziva watched, confused. "Do you know she's in love?" Tony asked Rishon.

"Yeah, she might have mentioned something." Rishon whispered back.

"Yeah well he's an ass!" Tony hissed. "I mean I thought you were one but compared to this guy…you're I dunno, Brad Pitt."

"Thanks man." Rishon muttered and pulled away.

"What did he say?" Ziva asked as she returned with some coffee.

"Oh, you know, just drunk rambling." Rishon replied as they watched Tony put his hand up to face and then pull it away, before putting his hand up again and continually repeating the process.

"Hey Zee…I have 7 fingers!" Tony called.

Ziva groaned. "Rishon, you head on to bed. I can deal with this." She said.

"Are you sure?" Rishon asked.

"Yeah the Jeanne thing, it's complicated." Ziva answered.

"Okay." Rishon replied. "Night Tony."

"Oh, night Brad." Tony called after Rishon.

Ziva looked at Rishon questionably. "Apparently I'm Brad Pitt." Rishon answered before heading into the guest bedroom.

"Okay." Ziva muttered, confused. She sat down on the couch and handed Tony the coffee. "Here, drink this."

"So where's the fire lieutenant?" Tony asked, slurring his words again.

"At work." Ziva replied.

"He's left you alone with the ex?" Tony laughed. "Not so jealous anymore huh?"

"There is nothing to be jealous about." Ziva answered. "Warner knows all about Rishon and our past." There was silence. "Anyway, this isn't about Warner and I, this is about you and Jeanne."

Tony scoffed. "There is no me and Jeanne!" He laughed. "It was all an act…I was undercover, remember?"

"Yeah I do." Ziva agreed. "But I'm guessing the feelings were real or you wouldn't be at my doorstep in this mess, would you?"

"I used to think they were real but now…" He trailed off and stared at the ceiling.

"Now?" Ziva asked. Tony looked her in the eye.

"She moved on." Tony simply answered. "And I'm left wondering am I that easy to get over?"

"Because you haven't…moved on." Ziva observed.

"Oh I don't give a damn about Jeanne!" Tony snapped.

"Your behaviour right now is telling me something different." Ziva retorted.

"Was I that easy to get over Ziva?" Tony asked, looking Ziva in the eye.

"How would I know?" Ziva asked, examining her fingers. "I'm not Jeanne."

"But you loved me." He answered. "I could tell. I could see it in your eyes and I avoided it because it was you, and it scared me. Gibbs doesn't even want us to date our co-workers, never mind fall for them." Ziva looked up to meet his eyes. "So tell me Ziva, am I easy to get over? To move on from?"

"There was nothing to move on from." Ziva answered. "You made that pretty clear when I returned to Washington."

"But what if I was wrong?" Tony asked softly. He began to stroke Ziva's cheek. "What if I made a mistake?" His lips gently grazed Ziva's lips, before he pressed against her, harder, asking her to return the feeling.

"Tony!" Ziva snapped, pushing him off her. "What you were doing now is a mistake!" Ziva stood up. "I'll put it down to you being drunk and upset because I know you would regret it in the morning."

She walked over to the linen closet and pulled out a pillow and a blanket. She tossed them to Tony. He caught them. "Try and get some sleep Tony." She stated.

"Ziva…" Tony quickly began to say.

"Just sober up Tony." Ziva sighed and headed into her bedroom.

"I'm sorry." Tony quietly murmured as he watched Ziva close her bedroom door.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter…Rishon gives Tony some advice while Warner has a special request for Gibbs. **


	24. Don't Let Go

**Thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed this fic. There are only two more chapters left after this one. I know a lot of you have not liked this story recently but all I can say is I can't please everyone. I'm trying really hard to get this story done and the end result was never going to please everyone. I know Tony has taken a lot of abuse lately but well, Ziva has had her pain too. All reviews, good or bad are welcome.**

**Chapter 24 – Don't Let Go**

_The next morning…0614_

Tony opened his eyes slowly, before jumping up quickly, as his brain registered this wasn't his home. He looked around him. He was sleeping, on a couch, not on a bed so he obviously hadn't hooked up with another women. Then his eyes focused on the belongings around him. They were so familiar; and then it dawned on him; he was at Ziva's.

He could hear someone in the kitchen. He stood up, a little too quickly and grabbed his head; the thumping headache a sudden reminder of last night's drinking session. He headed towards the kitchen to find Rishon frying some eggs.

"Good morning Tony." Rishon stated as he placed a glass of water and two painkillers in front of him.

"Huh! So I really did see you last night?" Tony asked.

"Yes you did." Rishon answered as he watched Tony take the painkillers. "Sore head?"

Tony nodded. "So um…where is Ziva?" He asked.

"She left about 5.30 to go on her morning run." Rishon replied, sliding the eggs onto two slices of toast. "She said she was going to head to work after her run." He pushed the plate towards Tony.

"I don't think I could stomach…" Tony began.

"Eat." Rishon ordered.

"Okay." Tony muttered and reluctantly began tucking into the eggs. He wasn't going to argue with a Mossad assassin.

Rishon watched him eating, as he prepared to ask him his next question. "So Tony, just between us, as Ziva's partners, who is this guy Warner?"

"He's her boyfriend." Tony simply answered. Rishon gave him a look and Tony nodded. He knew Rishon was looking for more. "She loves him apparently, she even acted like a girl for a while."

"Ziva? A girl? Wow! She must've really liked him." Rishon said. "But what about you Tony? Do you like him? Is he good enough for our Ziva?"

"Well Gibbs and McGee seem to love him." Tony replied.

"That's not what I asked Tony." Rishon retorted.

Tony was silent. He swallowed hard before looking Rishon in the eye. "Honestly, I think he's an ass but he seems to make Ziva happy and that's all that matters, right?" Tony answered.

Rishon smiled and nodded before reaching over and 'Gibbs slapping' Tony's head.

"Hey! What was that for?" Tony hissed, taken aback.

"He makes her happy?" Rishon stated. "C'mon Tony, are you the biggest idiot ever?"

"Hey!" Tony snapped, preparing to defend himself.

"Do you see this?" Rishon barked, pulling up his shirt, displaying the gunshot wound on his stomach. "Do you remember that? Do you remember me taking a bullet for you?"

"How could I forget?" Tony answered, confused.

"And do you think I took it just so you could return to Washington and sleep around with random girls?" Rishon hissed.

"What? You saved my life so now you think you own me and have a say on how I live my life?" Tony snapped.

"No, I saved your life for Ziva…so she wouldn't lose the man she loved!" Rishon retorted.

"What?" Tony exclaimed, confused.

"C'mon Tony, I'm not blind!" Rishon stated. "From the moment I saw you together, I could see the way she looked at you…it was the way she used to look at me. She was in love with you…and I thought you felt the same."

Tony scoffed his laughter. His nerves preventing him from saying anything. Had he really been that obvious?

"Look Tony, I'll let you into a little secret." Rishon said, his voice becoming softer. "I love Ziva, I always have and probably always will. But I messed up and I know I'll never get her back." He looked Tony in the eye. "You however, it's not too late…she hasn't got a ring on her finger. Just don't let her go…'cause trust me, you'll regret it until the day you die."

Tony nodded his head solemnly, letting Rishon's words sink in as Rishon began washing the dishes.

* * *

_The Bullpen…0731_

Tony was sitting at his desk, occasionally glancing up at Ziva's empty desk opposite him. He had been a few minutes late for work this morning and he hadn't seen her yet. He hadn't seen Gibbs, McGee or Abby either.

Suddenly, he saw all four of them heading out of MTAC, along with Director Vance. He hung his head, already waiting for the lecture. He was late and he obviously missed a development in an old or possible new case.

"You finally got here Dinozzo." Gibbs spat.

"Yeah sorry boss, I um…" He trailed off as he watched Gibbs and Ziva exchange knowing glances.

"It's fine Dinozzo." Gibbs retorted. "I've sure Ziva will catch you up. You two are on the first watch of the stake out."

"Stake out?" Tony questioned.

"Like I said, Ziva will get you up to speed." Gibbs replied abruptly.

"Right." Tony muttered, grabbing his gear, realising he was still in the doghouse. He ran towards the elevator, were Ziva was already waiting.

* * *

_A few hours later…_

Tony and Ziva were sitting inside the car, their eyes focused on a coffee bar down the street. Well, Ziva's eyes were focused on the coffee bar, Tony was busy watching Ziva.

She had spoken one word to him yet, well, nothing that wasn't case related. "There's our guy." She said, beginning to take pictures of a small chubby man, wearing a very expensive suit. He was meeting two rough, younger looking men who were dressed in casual street clothes.

She dropped the camera onto her lap and grabbed the laptop between Tony and her. "Let's hope Abby and McGee can get us an I.D. for the guys he was meeting." She said. She glanced over at Tony, who was sitting on a daze. "Tony! Focus! Please!"

"Huh! Oh, sorry." He muttered, returning to reality.

Ziva shook her head but did not say anything.

"Zee, why did you and Gibbs look at each other when I tried to explain why I was late?" Tony asked.

"Because I had already explained to him why you were late." Ziva replied, not looking up from the laptop.

"And what did you tell him?" Tony asked, his eyes watching Ziva intently.

"I told him that you had bad news about Jeanne and you had a heavy night of drinking." Ziva replied, watching their target again.

"Really?" Tony asked, in disbelief.

"Yes Tony, really." Ziva retorted, finally looking at him. "After all the lies that tied you and Jeanne together, I thought Gibbs deserved some honesty."

"Well thanks." Tony muttered.

"It's fine." Ziva replied, returning her focus to the target. "I could tell you were hurting."

"I wasn't hurting over Jeanne." Tony answered.

"You could have fooled me." Ziva muttered, her eyes never leaving the coffee bar. She began taking pictures again as the chubby man in the suit handed one of the younger men a package.

"Actually Ziva, I kinda wanted to talk to you about last night." Tony stated. "You see, I know I had a lot to drink and I probably said and did things that could be taken the wrong way and…"

"Tony, I really don't want to discuss this now." Ziva stated coldly, her eyes never leaving the target.

"Ziva, I think we should." Tony said. "I mean, you go on about the need to be honest with Warner…with Gibbs…don't you think we need to be honest for once?"

"Not today." Ziva retorted.

"C'mon Zee-vah, I need to say this…" Tony began.

"Tony! Please!" Ziva pleaded. She turned to look Tony in the eye. A single tear escaped for her eyes and rolled down her cheek.

"Zee?" He asked, wanting to understand why his crazy ninja chick would cry. He wiped the tear away with his thumb. His eyes were filled with concern.

Ziva returned to watching their target, as if nothing had happened.

"Ziva, please!" Tony pleaded. "Tell me what is wrong?"

Ziva glanced down to her lap before looking Tony in the eye. "I'm late Tony." She simply said.

"Late for what?" Tony asked, confused.

"_Late _Tony." Ziva repeated, emphasising the 'late'. "As in, possibly pregnant."

"Oh." Tony sighed, taken aback.

"Yeah, oh." Ziva muttered, before returning her focus back onto the coffee bar.

All Tony could focus on however, was Ziva, and wonder if he had definitely lost his chance to open his heart, now she was possibly carrying another man's child.

* * *

Gibbs was in his basement, carving the nameplate for his latest boat 'Jen'. He could hear footsteps at the top of his basement steps. "Hey Warner." He said, not even looking back.

"Damn, you freak me out when you do that." Warner stated as he began walking down the steps. "You and Ziva are the only two people I know that can do that."

"I trained her well." Gibbs said, a wry smile on his lips. He knew that Ziva had learnt that skill from her Mossad training.

"So, she's looking well." Warner said, running his hand across the mass of the boat.

"Yeah, I got a lot of work done over the holidays." Gibbs replied, sitting back, his eyes watching Warner. He was used to Warner's unannounced visits but this visit seemed different; his gut was telling him it was different. Warner seemed, almost nervous.

"Yep, well it shows." Warner said. He glanced at the nameplate. "Jen must have been quite a lady."

Gibbs glanced at the nameplate and pushed it away. "Yeah, she was." He quietly muttered before looking back at Warner. "I'm just about to go and release your girl from stake out duty so if you have something to say, I suggest you say it now."

"What makes you think…" Warner began but he knew by the look in Gibbs eyes, there was no pint denying it. "Okay." He took deep breath. "I know from listening to Ziva talk about you, she kinda, well, she sees you as more of a father than her own actual dad…"

"Warner just spit it out!" Gibbs stated, becoming impatient.

Warner pulled a ring box out of his pocket. "I um, I guess I'm asking for your permission for me to propose to Ziva." Warner retorted nervously.

"Warner, you don't need my permission to ask Ziva to marry you." Gibbs replied. "She's her own girl, she can make her own choices…but, I don't think there'd be any other guy I'd rather see her marry."

Warner smiled. "Thanks Gibbs." He replied, the nerves disappearing.

Gibbs patted him on the back. "You're a brave guy, taking on a Mossad assassin." He said. "Very brave."

Warner laughed nervously in return.

* * *

_Ziva's apartment…the bathroom_

Ziva was sitting on the edge of the bath, her head in her heads. Tony was leaning against the sink, studying her with intent. "How long has it been?" Tony asked.

"Still another 3 minutes left Tony." Ziva replied, not even looking up.

As soon as Gibbs and McGee had relieved them from their stake out duties, Tony had insisted on stopping at a drugs store for a pregnancy test. Now they were back at Ziva's, anxiously waiting for the results.

Suddenly Ziva began to laugh. Tony watched her cautiously, fearing this was the beginning of a mental breakdown. "Ziva, are you okay?" He softly asked. He knelt down before her.

"I just…I never thought I'd be sitting in my bathroom, with you, waiting for a little stick that I had to pee on, to tell me whether or not I'm pregnant." Ziva replied, fighting back the laughter, obviously caused by nerves.

"You think that's weird? This is the first time I've done this were I'm sure I'm not the daddy." Tony retorted, trying to make a joke.

Ziva looked up, making eye contact with Tony. "You did this before?" She asked.

"Twice." Tony answered honestly. "Once in high school and once when I was a homicide detective in Baltimore. Good news is, they were both negative." Ziva gave a small smile. "Here's hoping it's the same here."

"Yeah." Ziva muttered, the smile disappearing.

"You do want it to be negative, don't you Ziva?" Tony asked.

"What? Oh…yeah." Ziva muttered. Tony looked at her questionably. "I mean, I've spent most of my life taking lives with Mossad, I never really contemplated giving life to someone."

"All those times Ziva, you didn't take lives…you saved the lives of their victims." Tony reassured her.

"It still doesn't give me the right to give life to someone, after all I've taken." Ziva retorted.

"Ziva, I have no doubt in my mind that you would be an amazing mother." Tony reassured her, looking her right in the eye. "You take care of Abby, McGee, Gibbs…and even me on a daily basis without thinking about it."

"I suppose you are like a child." Ziva teased, cracking half a smile.

"Exactly!" Tony exclaimed. "So um, have you thought about what to do if it's positive?"

"Let's think about that if it comes to it." Ziva retorted, brushing off the suggestion.

"But Ziva…" Tony began until he noticed Ziva pleading eyes. He trailed off. She obviously didn't want to think about the definite desk duties and the possibility of losing her liaison position with NCIS, leading to a return to Israel.

Just then, the beeping of Ziva's watch signalled time was up, the result was in. Ziva and Tony both looked at each other. "I can't look…" Ziva stated, tears beginning to fill her eyes. "Can you…" She trailed off as Tony nodded in response.

Tony picked up the little plastic stick and glanced down. Ziva watched him anxiously, preparing to read his face. He was giving nothing away. He handed the stick over to Ziva.

"Tony, what is it?" She asked, fearing the worst.

"Congratulations." Tony said, his expression so serious.

"Am I…?" She asked, her eyes glancing down. "I'm not! I'm not! It's negative!" Ziva began jumping up and down.

"Yeah it is!" Tony stated, a big smile spreading across his lips as he began jumping too. Ziva jumped into his arms and wrapped her arms around him, embracing him.

"Thank you Tony." She stated, burying her head in his shoulder as the jumping stopped.

"Hey, it's all in the line of duty…when you have a female partner." He quickly added. "I wouldn't be doing this for McGee…although he is more of a girl than you." He stepped back, forcing her to lift her head. He placed a finger under her chin, forcing her to look him in the eyes.

"No, I mean it…thank you for being there for me." Ziva softly stated. A single tear rolled down her cheek. Tony brushed the tear away with his thumb, gently caressing her cheek.

"I'm always going to be there Ziva." Tony answered, looking deep into her eyes. "Always."

A spark of electricity ran up Ziva's spine, causing her to shiver. "Until the next leggy blonde comes along, hey Tony?" She joked, desperately trying to release the tension between them.

He didn't answer; instead, he stepped back, out of her bathroom. "I think I should go." He simply said.

"Tony…" Ziva began, her voice almost pleading with him, hoping to end her confusion of what just happened.

"See you for the next shift Ziva." He simply retorted and left her apartment.

**To be continued…**

**Next Chapter…It's Ziva's first Valentine's Day with Warner but she must spend it with Tony on an undercover operative. **


	25. Be My Valentine?

**Hey guys, thanks to everyone who has read and reviewed this story. I know the ansgt was a bit much for some but that fine. This storyline isn't for everyone but I appreciate that you gave it a chance. Just a little warning for anyone who is reading this chapter...there is more angst than romance in this chapter (and no Rishon) but it was needed to reach the conclusion of this fic (which I have just started writing). As always...all reviews, good or bad, are welcome.**

**Oh, and for anyone interested, I uploaded a new Tiva video to my youtube page (my profile name is SuzyH82) if you want to check it out.**

**Chapter 25 - Be My Valentine?**

_A few weeks later…Valentine's Day…the Bullpen_

Ziva, Tony and McGee were all sitting at their desks, their eyes anxiously glancing up towards Director Vance's office every few minutes. Gibbs had disappeared in there about twenty minutes ago and had not resurfaced yet.

"So Ziva, any plans with Warner for Valentines?" McGee asked, hoping small talk would relieve the tension and nerves in the air.

"He's cooking me dinner." Ziva simply replied. "Have you any plans Timothy?"

"Probie? With plans on Valentines? Ha!" Tony scoffed. Ziva rolled her eyes, ignoring Tony.

"Actually Ziva, I have a date, thanks for asking." McGee smugly answered, looking directly at Tony. Now it was Tony's turn to roll his eyes.

"Watching 'I Love Lucy' repeats with Abby isn't a Valentines date, McGeek." Tony stated.

"It's not with Abby." McGee retorted. "It's with Gloria from accounting and I'm taking her to the new French bistro in Georgetown."

"Very nice McGee." Ziva said, smiling.

"Very nice McGee." Tony muttered, mocking Ziva. Ziva just shook her head, deciding to ignore his childish behaviour.

"So, what about you Tony?" McGee asked.

"Actually I…" Tony began but was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Gibbs, heading down the steps from Director Vance's office towards the bullpen. All three agents/officers jumped to attention.

"Anything going on boss?" Tony was the first to ask.

"Yeah, cancel any plans you have for Valentines." Gibbs simply answered, as he sat down behind his computer.

"What?" Both Ziva and McGee exclaimed.

"Looks like someone is going to have to cancel on Gloria." Tony gloated as McGee muttered under his breath.

"Gibbs…I can't." Ziva pleaded. "Warner has a special surprise planned for me."

Gibbs paused before responding, having a fair idea what the surprise was. "Sorry Ziva but the surprise can wait." He answered.

"But it's our first Valentines together." Ziva stated.

"And there will be plenty more." Gibbs retorted. "I'm sorry Ziva but SecNav has very reliable information that Lieutenant Commander Barton, the guy we have been building surveillance on will try to close the deal tonight."

"What's the new Intel boss?" Tony asked.

"Both he and Finley have booked into the Windsor Hotel with their wives for dinner." Gibbs replied.

"That doesn't mean the deal will go down." McGee pointed out.

"But it is a big coincidence that Barton and our suspected hitman Finley would be having dinner in the same place." Ziva added.

"Imagine hiring a hitman to kill your wife over a Valentines Day dinner." Tony stated. "How ironic!"

"So what's the plan?" McGee asked.

"We have to make sure we get the deal on record." Gibbs replied. "McGee, you and Abby will be involved in planting bugs, cameras…just about anything technical that can ensure we get the deal on tape."

"Okay boss." McGee stated and sat down behind his desk, already beginning to prepare what they would need.

"What about us boss?" Tony asked.

"We have to ensure no matter what happens, Mrs Barton is kept safe." Gibbs answered. "It was very brave of her to come forward with her suspicions. You and Ziva will be in the hotel and restaurant as a couple out for a Valentines dinner. There will be a few other agents on site, in case we need back up."

"Looks like we're undercover lovers again Zee-vah!" Tony teased.

"Great!" Ziva muttered, already dreading having to tell Warner she couldn't make their first Valentines together because she had to pretend to be Tony's date.

* * *

_Later that day…Ziva's apartment_

Warner was sitting on Ziva's bed, watching her go around her room, and trying to get ready. She was wearing a sleeveless red wrapover dress that came to just above her knees. Her long dark hair was hanging down in loose bouncy curls.

She sat down on the edge of the bed and slipped on her red stiletto pumps. "I am so sorry Warner." She apologised again. "This really isn't how I planned to spend our first Valentines together."

"Zee, it's okay." Warner reassured her as she put in one dangly earring.

"Wait!" She cried. "Where's my other earring?" She knelt on the floor and began looking under her bed, with her ass in the air.

"Here." Warner laughed, holding the earring between his fingers.

"Thanks." Ziva replied, quickly kissing his cheek as she took the earring from his hand. She began to put the earring in. "It's just, I know you had this big surprise planned and I can't help but feel I've ruined something."

"You haven't…in fact, you can have your surprise now if you want." Warner offered. "But you have to close your eyes."

"Okay." Ziva answered and closed her eyes.

Warner got down on one knee. He pulled a small ring box out of his pocket and flipped it open, revealing a platinum princess cut diamond ring. He took a hold of Ziva's left hand with his spare hand. "Okay, open your eyes." He softly requested.

"Oh!" Ziva exclaimed in shock as her eyes focused on the ring before her.

"This isn't exactly how I planned it." Warner stated. "But Ziva David, will you marry me?"

Ziva said nothing. Her eyes drifted from the ring to Warner, back to the ring before finally resting on Warner. "Oh Warner…" She sighed, tears filling her eyes.

* * *

_Later that night…outside Windsor Hotel_

"C'mon Zee-vah, where are you?" Tony muttered under his breath. He already watched their suspect and his wife enter the hotel.

"Any sign of Ziva yet?" McGee asked through Tony's earpiece.

"No. I knew I should have picked her up." Tony answered.

"We're okay. Finley hasn't arrived yet." McGee tried to reassure him but Tony wasn't listening. His eyes were focused on a dazed Ziva walking towards him.

"Zee-vah, sweet cheeks." He stated, walking towards her. "You look stunning." He placed a gently kiss on her cheek. Ziva looked at him, questionably. "We're a couple, remember?"

"Of course." She answered, still a little dazed as she felt Tony take her left hand in his, while his right arm wrapped around her waist, helping her up the steps, towards the hotel lobby.

"Are you okay?" He asked, concern lingering in his voice. "You look nervous."

"I'm fine." Ziva reassured him, with a squeeze of his hand. "Really." She smiled.

"Okay, well just remember, we're desperately in love so just pretend I'm Warner or something." Tony said, leading her towards the restaurant.

* * *

Tony and Ziva were sitting at an intimate table for two, about 20 feet away from their suspects, who had been placed at two tables beside each other. Tony's left hand held Ziva's right hand on top of the table, their fingers entwined, looking like every other couple in the restaurant.

"They haven't exchanged any words yet boss." Tony said, talking into his sleeve inconspicuously, keeping one eye firmly on the suspects while the other rested on Ziva, playing the adoring boyfriend.

"Tony, see if you can get closer." Gibbs requested through the earpiece.

"I'll try." Tony muttered. He stood up and offered his hand to Ziva. "Fancy a dance, my ninja?"

"Of course, my hairy butt." Ziva replied, with a smile, taking Tony's hand as she stood up.

'You and Me' by Lifehouse began to play as they headed towards the dance floor. They quickly took hold, Ziva melting into Tony's frame as he pressed his hand into the small of her back. She rested her head under the nook of his neck and snuggled into his chest. She felt so safe in his arms as they waltzed around the room.

To anyone watching, they looked like the perfect couple, lost in themselves but in reality, their eyes never lost sight of their suspects. "Gibbs, I think we might have contact." Ziva observed, watching Lieutenant Commander Barton walk towards the bar, followed a minute later by Findley.

"Hold your position." Gibbs answered. "We have an agent in place at the bar. Make sure Mrs Barton is safe."

"No problem." Tony retorted. 'Like We Never Loved At All' by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill began to play.

They continued dancing, keeping a watchful eye on Mrs Barton, who seemed to be watching them in return. She had been briefed that agents would be there to protect her. All she had to do was act like a dutiful wife; despite thinking her husband was hiring a hitman to kill her. It was easier said than done. Luckily, her college acting classes had paid off.

"We've got the deal on record. We're taking Barton and Findley in." Gibbs confirmed over their earpiece. Both Tony and Ziva glanced over to the bar and watched Barton and Findley being taken down, without drawing much attention.

They then watched Director Vance and Gibbs approach both Mrs Barton and Findley's wife, to bring them in to make statements and possibly receive questioning. There was a perfectly good chance Mrs Findley knew nothing about her husband's chosen career but they weren't taking any chances.

"Hold you position until you can slip out discreetly." Gibbs requested through the earpiece as he left. "We're done here."

"On your six boss." Tony replied.

"Poor Mrs Barton." Ziva said as they continued dancing. "Getting confirmation that your husband wanted you dead isn't a very nice Valentines surprise."

"At least she found out before it was too late." Tony retorted.

"Tony!" Ziva scoffed, finally lifting her head off his chest to look him in the eye. "I know this operation ruined whatever hot date you had lined up but you weren't the only one who made sacrifices. Warner had something very special planned for me."

"Oh yeah…perfect Warner and his perfect surprises!" Tony hissed sarcastically.

"Tony!" Ziva snapped, in surprise.

"I'm sorry Zee-vah but I can't do this anymore!" Tony stated. They continued dancing, determined not to blow their cover.

"Do what?" Ziva asked. "Dance? Because we can stop at the end of the song?"

Tony shook his head. "I'm done pretending Ziva." He answered. "I'm done pretending to like Warner. I done pretending to be his friend and most of all, I'm done pretending to be happy that you're with him because I'm not happy…you shouldn't be with him Ziva, he isn't right for you."

"This really isn't the time or place Tony." Ziva hissed, her eyes filling with tears.

"Yeah, well it had to be said." Tony responded, just as the song ended.

"Well I wish you hadn't." Ziva replied, before walking off, Tony watching her go.

* * *

_20 minutes later…the Bullpen_

Ziva was sitting at her desk, holding the princess cut diamond ring Warner had presented to her earlier between her fingers. She heard the ding of the elevator and quickly slipped the ring back into her purse. She looked over to find Tony exiting the elevator.

"We're not needed for the interrogation." Tony said. "Gibbs said the paperwork can wait until tomorrow. It's been a long day."

Ziva nodded and stood up. She strolled straight past Tony, towards the elevator. She felt his strong hand grip her arm as she passed. "Ziva, please." Tony softly stated. "I have to finished what I started."

"Not tonight." Ziva replied, shaking off his hold to step into the elevator.

"Yes tonight." Tony retorted, following her into the elevator.

"Tony, please!" She pleaded.

"No Ziva, it has to be done…tonight." Tony protested, pulling the emergency stop. "It's about time we began being honest."

Ziva scoffed. "Four years of being partners and now you decide to be honest!"

"Don't you even want to know why I said those things tonight?" Tony asked.

"No I don't." Ziva retorted. "You know why? Because tonight you changed everything…you ruined everything!"

"How did I…?" Tony began but was interrupted by Ziva.

"Do you really think we can be partners now? When I know you hate the man that loves me?" Ziva hissed, beginning to pace up and down the elevator. "For four years I watched as you paraded brainless bimbo after brainless bimbo in front of me but did I ever say anything? No! You know why? Because it would create tension just like this!"

"Well maybe you should have said something." Tony stated.

"Like you would have listened!" Ziva snapped. "Every time I've tried to open up to you Tony you've thrown your reckless 'I don't do commitment' behaviour in my face. You've only ever had one real relationship and even that was built on lies."

"Oh yeah!" Tony barked. "Well the only thing I seem to hear you say is Warner loves me, he loves me…it's never you love Warner, is it? Some relationship!"

"Don't dare try to question my feelings for Warner!" Ziva hissed. "I do…love him…I care for him deeply."

"Please! You love the idea of him!" Tony spat.

"So what if I do?" Ziva snapped. "Don't you think I deserve someone who wants to be there for me? Who I know won't drop me for the next piece of skirt that walks by? Who wants to plan their future with me in it? Don't you think I need that security Tony?"

"I think you need someone that not only loves you, but you love him back." Tony answered, softly.

"I can grow to love him." Ziva stated, her voice becoming softer.

"You shouldn't have to." Tony said.

"Well, I don't have much choice, do I?" Ziva stated. "It's not like I have any other offers."

"Ziva, just…don't pick him." Tony stuttered.

"Typical Tony!" Ziva laughed. "You don't want me but you don't want anyone else to have me either."

"I didn't say that!" Tony argued.

"But you didn't deny it." Ziva stated. "Don't worry Tony, I know you don't do commitment." She pulled open her purse and lifted out the ring. "But Warner he does." She held up the ring. "He proposed…earlier this evening and I said yes…we're getting married."

"Ziva…" Tony began as Ziva released the emergency stop. She spun around to face him.

"Maybe I don't love Warner the way I should but I know I could…and it's better than me loving someone who could never see a future for us." Ziva simply stated. "You said earlier that you were done pretending well so am I. I tried not to feel anything for you Tony and when I couldn't stop, I gave you so many signs of my feelings but you ignored them all. I reached out so many times and you threw them all in my face. So I'm done Tony…Warner has given me a chance to be happy in a loving committed relationship and I'm taking it. I'm done!"

The elevator came to a stop. Ziva got out and walked away, leaving Tony to watch her go, deep in thought.

**To Be Continued…**

**Next Chapter…it's the final chapter! Warner has plans to elope with Ziva but will Tony finally get over his commitment fears and finally tell Ziva the truth?**


	26. The Choice

**To everyone who has read and reviewed this fic…here's the moment I've been working towards (and hopefully you've been waiting for)…the final chapter. I hope you enjoy…and it doesn't disappoint you! **

**Chapter 26 – The Choice**

_One week later…the bullpen_

Ziva was sitting at her desk, typing on her computer keyboard. There had been no new cases so the last few days had been spent doing paperwork. She quickly glanced over at Gibbs and McGee's desk. They were also busy with their paperwork. Then she looked over at Tony's desk; her eyes resting there. It was empty, as it had been for the last week.

She sighed and pondered phoning him, but what was the point? He had ignored her previous 68 phone calls and messages. Yes, she had counted them; each missed call or ignored message hurting her more.

She had turned in to work the day after Valentines Day, blindly hoping that everything could return to the way it was. Tony however, had not turned up for work. Gibbs had informed her and McGee that Tony had decided to finally take the holiday time that had built up over the years.

She glanced over at Gibbs, who was staring at his computer screen with intent. He had obviously done something to cause an error but was too proud to ask McGee for help. She could tell that he blamed her for Tony's absence. He hadn't said anything but she could see it in his eyes.

Her cell phone began to vibrate along her desk. She quickly glanced at caller I.D. as she picked up the phone. She stood up and headed towards the bathroom.

"Hey Ziva, Abby just I. me." McGee started saying as she passed him. "She thinks you're avoiding her. She has a few ideas for the wedding…"

"Not now Tim." She muttered, heading straight towards the bathroom. She had asked Abby to be her bridesmaid a few days ago and had regretted it ever since. Abby was determined to have Ziva dressed in purple on her wedding day and have a 'Brain Matter' song as her first dance with Warner.

She entered the female bathroom and slipped into a cubicle. She finally answered the phone. "What took you so long?" Rishon's familiar voice asked.

"Sorry but I had to slip away." Ziva answered. "It has been one of those days."

"Yeah tell me about it." Rishon muttered. "Have you something to tell me Ziva?"

"I…I do not know." She answered honestly as she sat down on a toilet, with a closed toilet lid.

"Nothing big has happened in the last oh…4 weeks since I saw you?" Rishon asked. "Something to do with this Warner guy?"

"Oh yeah…I um got engaged." Ziva simply replied.

"Yeah I kinda figured that when you father started giving me hell for cheating on you and breaking your heart." Rishon retorted. "He didn't even act like that when I actually broke your heart all those years ago. He isn't exactly happy with you for marrying a non-Jewish guy, especially one he didn't even know about."

"Yeah he's not the only one." Ziva sighed, leaning her head against the cubicle wall. Warner's mother was not best pleased with their engagement either.

"I mean seriously Zee, have you really thought this through?" Rishon asked. "I mean, what has Tony got to say about this?"

At that, Ziva said nothing; instead, she began to sob uncontrollably. "Oh shit Zee." Rishon said. "Don't cry. You never cry. I don't know what to do when you cry."

"I'm sorry it's just…" Ziva managed to spit out between sobs. "Tony he…he won't talk to me. He told me he doesn't like Warner or the fact I'm dating him and I went ahead and told him I was going to marry Warner. Now Tony won't come to work and I can tell that Gibbs blames me." She began sobbing again. "I just don't know what to do."

"Ziva, do you really want to marry this Warner guy?" Rishon asked.

"I thought I did." She sobbed. "I know he loves me…and I know he could make me happy if I let him. I just…I want the person I love to actually love me back and Warner does. He was willing to change for me."

"And Tony won't." Rishon concluded.

"I just…I just want Tony to come back to work." Ziva sighed, her sobbing subsiding.

"And how are you going to make that happen Zee?" Rishon asked. "After everything you and Tony shared…those feelings are out there now. Do you really think you can move on?"

"Maybe…if I were to leave NCIS." Ziva answered. "Maybe that would be the best for everyone." She could hear Rishon sigh on the other end.

"I guess it's your call Zee." He retorted.

* * *

_A hour later…Ziva's apartment_

Ziva had stayed in the ladies bathroom for another twenty odd minutes after the phone call had ended, hoping to disguise any signs of crying. When she finally emerged back in the bullpen, she made out she had a stomach bug and Gibbs let her go home. Now she was back home.

She slipped her key into her lock and pushed open the door to find Warner on her couch. "Hey sweetie." He said, putting down the magazine he was flicking through.

"Hey." She replied, half-heartedly. She tossed her belongings on the floor and collapsed on the sofa beside him.

"Aw baby, did you have a tough day at work?" Warner asked, wrapping his arms around her.

"You could say that." Ziva sighed, a single tear rolling down her cheek. She let herself relax in his arms.

"Aw baby, I know all this wedding stuff is getting to you." Warner said. Ziva just grunted in response. "And so Abby is a little eager…"

Ziva sat up and looked him in the eye. He had no idea how eager Abby was to plan the wedding. He didn't have to work with her. "She emailed me a few 'Brain Matter' songs to consider for our first dance and she gave me the name of a tailor who specialises in blood red morning suits." Warner answered, as if reading her mind.

Ziva fell back into his arms. Okay, he did have an idea about how eager Abby was. "But I think I have a solution." Warner stated.

"What? You've created a parallel universe were there's only you and me?" Ziva asked, her voice filled with hope. "No Abby…and no disapproving parents?"

"Well no but I have the next best thing." Warner stated. He handed Ziva an envelope. She opened it.

"Plane tickets?" She observed, emptying out the contents of the envelope. She looked at Warner, questioning him.

"Not just plane tickets…plane tickets to Las Vegas." Warner stated. "We leave in two days…if you say yes."

"Oh." Ziva sighed and sunk into the couch.

"Look, I can tell you're a little overwhelmed." Warner said. "So I'll leave you to think things through and if you want to elope…you can meet me at the airport."

"Okay." She sighed. He gave her a quick kiss on the lips, lifted one set of plane tickets and left the apartment.

As the door to the apartment closed, Ziva sat forward and lifted the set of tickets left for her. She sunk back into the couch again, her fingers grazing the tickets, her eyes studying them with intent.

* * *

_The next morning…the bullpen…0657_

Ziva sat at her desk, her fingers feverishly typing on her keyboard, trying to catch up on the paperwork she missed yesterday. She could hear the ding of the elevator and braced herself for the arrival of Gibbs or McGee.

"Morning Ziva." McGee stated as he passed her on his way to the desk.

"Ziver." Gibbs grunted his hello, coffee in hand.

"Morning Tim…boss." Ziva answered warily, her eyes watching Gibbs as his eyes rested on the sealed white envelope on his desk with the simple word 'Gibbs' scribbled on it, in Ziva's handwriting.

She continued typing, watching from the corner of her eye as he opened the envelope and read the contents. "Ziva, my office, now!" He grunted, storming towards the elevator, with the coffee in one hand and the letter in the other.

McGee looked at Ziva, in total shock. Ziva gave him a small smile in return, trying to reassure him, before following Gibbs.

She stepped into the elevator, where Gibbs was waiting. "What the hell is this?" He barked, waving the letter in the air, not even waiting for the elevator doors to close.

"It's my resignation." Ziva simply answered.

"What? Why?" Gibbs asked, completely confused.

"I'm doing it for the good of the team." Ziva answered.

"Zee, there is no team without you." Gibbs stated.

"No…there is no team without Tony and we both know he isn't going to come back if I'm still here." Ziva retorted.

She watched Gibbs. His lips twitched as if preparing a comeback. Then, they stopped. He began to pace up and down the elevator. "This is Rule Number 12's fault, isn't it?" He snapped.

"Look, I know what you went through with Jenny…I helped her pick up the pieces." Ziva softly said. At the mention of Jenny, Gibbs spun around to face her. "She was broken-hearted but she made her choice…she picked her career."

"She wanted more than I could give her Ziver." Gibbs said, in a rare moment of honesty.

"I know…and on paper, rule number 12 sounded great, especially after what I went through with Rishon." Ziva agreed. "But in reality, no matter how much respect we pay to your rules Gibbs, the human heart doesn't want to listen. I tried not to feel the way I do…did for Tony…and I know Tony felt something for me too. I know it. But your rule…well, it gave him a chance to hid from his commitment fears and now, I'm done, I can't wait anymore…I can't feel like this anymore."

"Zee…" Gibbs began, feeling the guilt from the rule he created to save his team's pain, only to see the pain it caused.

"Warner gave me a way out and I'm taking it." Ziva continued, ignoring Gibbs. "We're leaving for Las Vegas tomorrow and then I'm taking any holiday time I have built up. There should be enough to cover my notice. My father has set up a job at the Israeli embassy. He was happy to do it when he realised a job at the embassy will give him ample opportunity to check up on Warner and I."

"Ziva, are you sure?" Gibbs asked.

"Yeah, I am." Ziva replied.

"You know Ziva, when Warner came to me to ask for your hand, I only agreed because I thought you were happy…I thought he was your first choice." Gibbs stated. "Lately, you haven't seemed so happy."

"I know." Ziva agreed. "But I will be happy…someday." She stepped out of the elevator, preparing to break the news of her resignation to McGee, Abby and Ducky.

Gibbs watched her go, his eyes filled with troubled pain.

* * *

_A few hours later…Tony's apartment_

Abby furiously banged her fists against Tony's front door. "C'mon Tony, I know you're in there!" She cried, continuing the banging. "You wouldn't go on holiday without sending me a postcard." She stopped the banging and leaned her head against the door. "C'mon Tony it's really important."

Within 30 seconds, the door opened. Tony stood before her, wearing only his boxers and a full week of facial growth. "Geez Tony, did you forget what a shower is for?" Abby asked, stepping into the apartment. She looked around her. The place was littered with empty take away cartons and beer bottles. "And the trash can and vacuum?"

"Abs, you said this was important." Tony said, not attempting to make any excuses for the state of himself or his apartment.

"It is and since you won't answer your phone…"Abby began to rant.

"Abs!" Tony groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Fine." Abby sighed. "I just thought you would like to know that today, Ziva handed in her resignation. She's leaving NCIS." Abby watched Tony, trying to gauge the reaction. She didn't have to be a trained investigator to recognise the shock in his eyes.

"So?" He asked, trying to pretend he didn't care.

"So?" Abby squeaked before Gibbs' slapping the back of Tony's head.

"Abs!" Tony cried, clutching the back of his head. "You hit me harder than Gibbs ever does."

"Yeah, well you deserved it!" Abby exclaimed. "Didn't you hear me? Ziva is leaving NCIS…your partner is leaving…_YOUR_ Ziva is leaving."

"She's not _MY_ Ziva…she's perfect Warner's Ziva." Tony retorted sarcastically.

"Ugh Tony!" Abby squealed in frustration.

"I'm sorry Abs but what did you expect me to do?" Tony asked. "She made her choice."

"What choice Tony? You didn't give her one!" Abby exclaimed. "Tony, I know Ziva. She'll stay if you ask her to…give her a choice."

"I'm sorry Abby but it's not that simple." Tony softly said.

"But it can be." Abby argued. "Look Tony, I love Warner…he's a great guy but I love you more."

"Gee, thanks." Tony muttered sarcastically.

"And as much as Ziva wants to believe she loves Warner, I know deep in my heart she loves you more…she wants you…all you have to do it say it." Abby stated.

"I'm sorry Abby but I can't give Ziva what she wants." Tony replied. "Now if you don't mind…" He pulled open his door, indicating he wanted her to leave.

"Fine, I'll go." Abby said, giving up the fight. She turned to face Tony. "But before I do, I think you should also know that tomorrow, Warner and Ziva are planning to fly to Las Vegas to get married so this time tomorrow, it'll be too late to say something…Ziva will have that ring on her finger."

"Goodnight Abs." Tony said.

Abby shook her head. "I really thought you'd fight for her Tony." She sighed and left the apartment.

Tony closed the door behind her and rested his forehead against the back of the door. He banged his head against the door and closed his eyes, trying to overcome the wave of emotions washing over him.

* * *

_The next morning…Ziva's apartment…0943_

Ziva walked out of her bedroom, dressed in dark wide leg jeans with a white short sleeved button down shirt tuck in to her jeans, with black high heeled shoe boots. Her long dark hair was hanging down in loose, bouncy curls, mainly tossed to her left side. Her make up was minimal, as was her jewellery, making the most of her natural beauty.

She pulled a small black suitcase behind her. She wasn't sure what she should pack but she had decided anything she needed but hadn't packed, she could buy when she got there. She did however pack her white linen sundress. It was her favourite white dress…the one she wanted to wear when she said 'I do'.

She grabbed her keys and her plane ticket from the breakfast bar as she headed towards the door. She had booked her taxi for 0950, to make her flight at 1120. As she was about to pull open the door, she noticed the small white envelope that was slid under her door during the night, with the simple words 'For Ziva's eyes only'. She smiled as she recognised the handwriting…it was Tony's.

* * *

Warner stood at Gate 14, the departure gate for flight UA183 to Las Vegas. He glanced at his watch. It was 0955. If Ziva was coming, she would have needed to have left her apartment by now. He pulled out his cell phone and pressed speed dial 1. The phone rang 5 times before switching to the answer phone. He didn't bother leaving a message; he just closed over his cell and smiled. She was coming.

* * *

Ziva sat in the back of the taxi, heading towards the airport. The words of Tony's letter replaying in her mind over and over again. She shook her head, in a lame attempt to forget them. It was typical of Tony to play these mind games…especially when she already had her mind set to do something.

She sighed and pulled the letter out of her purse. She unfolded the letter and began to read it again, even though every word was etched in her mind.

_To my ninja,_

_I had a visitor today…Abby. She came to break the news of your resignation. She was under the impression that I could make you stay but I reminded her that you had already made your choice. Then I realised, you didn't have a choice…I didn't give one…but I will now. _

_So here is the choice you have to make…option number 1 is the ever perfect Warner Smith…offering you love, marriage, the white picket fence, 2.4 children, a dog, a cat…I could go on but I think you get the picture. _

_Or, here's option number 2…me, Tony Dinozzo, your partner, offering my love and possibly a drawer from my dresser, well half a drawer…actually, a glass beside the bathroom sink for your toothbrush. Hey…I'm trying here. _

_The most important thing is __I love you__. Yes, I said it…and I mean it._

_Love __always__,_

_Your hairy butt._

_XXX_

Ziva folded the letter over and wiped the few tears that had escaped from her eyes away.

"Lady, are you alright?" The taxi cab driver asked, looking at her through his rear view mirror.

Ziva paused before answering, not sure how to answer such a simple question.

* * *

Warner stood at Gate 14. He glanced at his watch. It was 1113 and Ziva was still wasn't there. "Final boarding call for flight UA183 to Las Vegas. Please head to gate 14. Final boarding call for flight UA183 to Las Vegas" blasted around the airport over the intercom.

He felt a gentle tap on his shoulder. He spun around, a smile fixed on his lips. "You're cutting it…"He began to say, until he came face to face with the airline check in girl. "Oh."

"Mr Smith?" The girl asked. Warner nodded. "Um, there was a phone call for you…they left this message." The girl handed him a slip of white paper, folded over and rushed off.

He didn't have to look at the slip of paper. The girl's eyes had said it all. She wasn't coming; Ziva wasn't coming. It was all over. Done.

Warner scrunched up the slip and tossed it in the bin beside him. He could tell the check in girl was watching him from a distance, feeling some sort of pity.

Warner swallowed hard, hoping to deflate the lump building in his throat and stepped towards the gate. So what if Ziva David wasn't coming? He could still head to Las Vegas and have some fun. Yes, it was time for the old Warner Smith to return. He boarded the plane, swearing to never fall in love again.

* * *

_Tony's apartment…1119_

Ziva stood in front of Tony's door, clutching a toothbrush into her chest, resting it beside the 'Star of David' with the eight diamonds around her neck.

She paused for a moment, thinking of Warner. The flight to Las Vegas would be taking off just about now. She hated breaking up with him via phone message but she couldn't do what she was thinking of doing without breaking it off with him first.

She brought her knuckles to Tony's door and gently tapped them against the wood. She stopped breathing momentarily, as she waited for a response.

The door opened, before she collapsed, revealing a freshly showered and shaven Tony. He was dressed in jeans and a crisp white and blue short sleeved checked buttoned down shirt. The apartment had also received a spring clean.

"I brought my toothbrush." She simply said, a small smile on her lips.

"And I got your glass right here." Tony replied, holding up a glass, a small smirk spreading across his mouth.

He put down the glass on the side table as Ziva stepped towards him. She placed the toothbrush in the glass and then she gently draped an arm around his neck, her fingers playing with the single curl on the nape of his neck. Tony wrapped one arm around Ziva's slender waist pulling her close.

They stared into each other's eyes, almost afraid to move. Then suddenly, their lips crashed together with as much hunger and passion that they could muster; the months…years of hidden desire finally coming to the surface.

Tony's hands framed Ziva's face, his fingers tangled in her dark curls as his tongue explored her mouth. Ziva's fingers gripped Tony's shirt as she purred in his mouth.

"Wait!" She sighed breathlessly, pulling away. "I resigned…I left NCIS."

"I'm sure Gibbs didn't take you seriously." Tony replied before hungrily crashing his lips against hers again. "Wait." Now it was his turn to pull away. "What about rule number 12? Gibbs will be so pissed he might not reinstate you."

Ziva smiled, remembering the look in Gibbs' eyes during their discussion in the elevator. He regretted making the rule. "Oh I don't think it will be a problem." She replied, wrapping her arms around Tony's neck.

Tony looked at her questionably, before letting himself fall back into the moment again. Their lips crashed together again, more softly and loving than before.

Tony pulled back and stroked Ziva's cheek. He looked her straight in the eye. "I really do love you Ziva David." He stated, still caressing her cheek.

"Ditto." Ziva replied, a smile fixed on her lips. Tony smiled too, remember the only other time he heard Ziva utter that word. It was the morning after they had broken rule number 12; after they had found out they were being reassigned.

He gave a small laugh and scooped Ziva into his arms. Ziva giggled and pressed her lips against his; their lips never breaking contact as he carried her into the bedroom.

**The End! So, there we have it, it's the end of the story. I hope you enjoyed the story and were satisfied by the ending. Please review and tell me your thoughts and feelings.**

**Thanks again for all the reviews and support over the last 26 chapters. I really appreciate it.**


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